London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Lambeth 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth Borough]
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| Under 5 years | 5 years and over, but under 15 years | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of children who completed the full immunisation course between 1st January and 30th June, 1946 | 929 (595) | 291 (274) | 1,220 (869) |
| Number of children who completed the full immunisation course between 1st July and 31st December, 1946 | 1,096 (953) | 736 (204) | 1,832 (1,157) |
The number immunised during the year, 3,052, while greater
than the previous year, is still not sufficient to maintain the position,
since the births numbered 4,805.
It is, however, a fact that every death from diphtheria in Lambeth
since 1928 was of a child whom the parents had failed to protect.
Vaccination.
For many years no legal compulsion has been used in Lambeth
and in fact vaccination has been purely voluntary. The difficulty
during the year has been to arrange vaccination for those who
desired it rather than the reverse. The repeal of the Vaccination
Acts by the National Health Service Act may lead to more parents
wishing to protect their children.
Set out hereunder are figures relating to the years 1943, 1944, 1945 and 1946 for comparison:—
| 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of births in Lambeth registered during the year | 2,978 | 2,581 | 2,183 | 5,467 |
| Total number of cases requiring the Vaccination Officers' attention during the year | 4,390 | 4,092 | 4,011 | 7,223 |