INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 March 1919, Page 6

INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

DEATHS IN SYDNEY. Sydney, March 10. There have been five additional deaths from influenza. THE N.Z. COMMISSION. EVIDENCE OF BACTERIOLOGISTS.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, March 10.

Giving evidence before the Epidemic Commission, Mr Hurley, Government bacteriologist, dealing with the question whether the prior use of vaccine would have minimised the epidemic, stated that when asked, owing to the epidemic, by the Department his opinion as to the use of vaccine prophylaxis, he replied on November S to the effect that in the circumstances he was strongly against it. The circumstances were: (1) Auckland.was then the centre of an epidemic of influenza. (2) That inoculation would render healthy individuals more susceptible to the disease for an uncertain number of days and would be dangerous for those who were actually infected, but were showing up to the time of inoculation no syniptomß of the disease. (3) That after inoculation there would be many severe cases through neglect of medical advice. (4) That there was a scarcity of medical practitioners to inoculate. (5) That there was a lack of scientific data as to the immnnity involved by such inoculations before or during the epidemic As to the benefit of influenza vaccine to be used at an uncertain time before an Epidemic this was still a moot point and there was not sufficient evidence to date that the prophylactic use of influenza vaccine during an epidemic was advisable. The question of prophylactic treatment was in an experimental stage, and the technique and doses were still uncertain. He added that there was still influenza in a more or less virulent stage in New Zealand. Mr Hurley said that no doubt the more virulent strain of influenza noticed during the epidemic had been imported into New Zealand by sea, and compara- j tively' recently, but when they could not say. He had heard from the Department in Auckland of virulent cases before October 12, but could not say whether they reached the standard of the cases which oecurred subsequently. Dr. Watt, District Health Officer, said a feature of the influenza was the rapid manner in which it spread from country to country and from continent to continent. There was no other infectious disease which could compare with it in this respect.