Real Cost of Typhoid Makes Vaccine Invaluable, July 17, 1925

Typhoid Fever and Its Cost. . . Prevention Is Worth More Than a Thousand Pounds of Cure

By R.G. Rosser

To estimate the cost of a case of Typhoid fever in dollars and cents can be calculated by figuring it out. It requires on an average about four weeks in bed, three more weeks of disability, and six months following of weakness in which the patient is unable to do his usual work of making a living. This estimate applies to the ordinary case that recover, but leaves out the fatal cases. The earning capacity of people varies, but what ever it may be, an ordinary base of typhoid fever will cost him about eight months of his time from his work. Not only is his own time lost but four weeks of competent nursing is required in every case. The family is placed in a state of mental demoralization to the extent that the members are almost out of earning capacity. These suggestions as to cost vary under different circumstances, and apply to the cost of time and other vocational disturbances outside the cash outlay for medicines, nurses, doctors, special foods, etc. counting the time, it might be said it costs a year’s work with the necessary cash outlay, assuming that the patient gets well. Now we have no guarantee that he will. Typhoid is a treacherous disease, about one out of every 10 goes to the undertaker. This is another heavy expense of money plus the loss of a life. It should be remembered that typhoid has no respect of person nor the money he has. Mark ?anner died from an attack of typhoid fever.

Typhoid fever is an expensive, filthy, almost degrading disease, and adds nothing to its victims and often robs the home of a useful member. Insurance men often get a history of typhoid as a cause of death of some of the applicants’ relatives. Now thinking over the enormous and varied costs of the dreaded disease and remembering that an ounce of prevention is worth more than 1,000 pounds of cure, any one would be silly not to take typhoid vaccine every three years. Should everybody do that, typhoid would be stamped out in 10 years.

From the front page of The Pilot, Vass, N.C., Friday, July 17, 1925

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