FORGOTTEN CHILDREN (con»t)
If one could be sure of the time
at which he was exposed, there
would be little need for advance
protection. But no one can be
sure. Not more than one in a
dozen victims knows where he got
the disease. From a Public Health
standpoint, "an unvaccinated in
dividual 3s the focal point of
a potential'epidemic." Did you
know that only about 12 states
in the U.S-. do rot Lave a com
pulsory vaccination law? We do
not have such a law in Alaska.
The purpose of this article is
to bring home to the parents in
the Valley some revealing local
figures. They are revealing be
cause ti'-’.y testify to a neg
lect of our preschool child who
needs the same protection that
the school child needs: while
94,^ of our school children have
been vaccinated, 36^ (or over
1/3) of our ^ choolers(agel
to 6 years) have not received
this protection. We can be
proud(but not too proud) of the
high percentage of immunizations *•
among the school childrenJ but
equal!:/- concerned over the fact
that so large a percentage of
our pro-schoolers have not had the
same privileges—there is no ex
cuse for this "forgotten child'1.
All children should be vaccinated
by one -'•car of age. If vaccin
ated. before- or at this age, the
reaction is slight. Vaccination
should then be repeated at the
time the child enters school,
five years later, and again at
the age of twelve years or in
the presence of- an epidemic.
The practice of allowing a child
to go unvaccinated until he
enters school is a foolish one
as it allows the child to pass
through a highly susceptible
period without protection.
For any adult in doubt about his
immunity to smallpox, revaccin
ation every five to ten years is
the best precaution.
(con't on pa^c 5)
NEWS NOTES FROM C.C.C.CAMP
Norman Rothacher is back with the
C.C.C. now after a long vacation.
He was clerk in the Anchorage- camp
last fall. Now ho is cooking for
us in the Palmer Camp.
»7c have started to clear out the
second growth brush along the road
from Wnsilla to Fi3hook Inn. Work
is all completed on the airport
until spring. Then we will have
to pull the stumps and burn them.
Billy Wickcrsham has boon trans
ferred to the Anchorage camp.
Lowell Thorsness and Ed Gulberg
have been released fro.1 the Palmer
camp.
Joe Piaskowski is back in camp
after a long illness.
Mr. Patrick T. White is coning
back from a winters vacation in
the Hawaiian Islands.
Several of the boys went to Anchor
age .over the week end starting Feb.
3rd. Those making the trip were
Alien Voic, Wilton McRoberts, Steve
IT Oman, Dave Polka, Johnnie '.Talker,
and John Howard. They reported
the roads in fine condition.
Hr. Bishop' and Oscar Naylor went
in to Anchorage with the truck.
Hermit Bcoughcr has boon trans
ferred to Anchorage.
All the electric appliances are
getting a real workout lately. The
washing machine, iron, and radio
go almost night and day.
hr. Fox, principal foreman from
Anchorage, road a new yet of rules
to us the other day and told us
they had to bo enforced and obeyed.
The favorite radio programs of camp
are Guy Lombardo’s Royal Canadians,
Kay Iviazior, and Jack Benny.
J. R. Howard, Camp Reporter.