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
Orpington 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Orpington]
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46
SECTION F.
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL
OVER INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES.
Statistical details of notifiable infectious diseases are shown in
Tables IV, V and VI in the Appendix.
I here were no epidemics of a serious nature during the year 1954.
A total of 1,170 cases of infectious diseases were notified, as against
1,559 for the year 1953.
Smallpox.
No cases occurred in the area. Several contacts or suspected
contacts of cases came under supervision during the year.
Although we had another year free from this disease, it is still an
ever present potential danger which may arise at any moment—the
danger perhaps being greater with the ever increasing speed with which
it is possible to travel from one part of the globe to another.
Vaccination.
The following figures, which have been furnished by the County Medical Officer, show the number of persons who were vaccinated against smallpox during the year ended 31st December, 1954: —
| Year of Birth. | Primary Vaccination. | Rc-vaccination. |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 464 | — |
| 1953 | 253 | — |
| 1952 | 11 | — |
| 1951 | 13 | — |
| 1950 | 8 | 3 |
| 1949 | 4 | 4 |
| 1948 | 4 | 3 |
| 1947 | 2 | 5 |
| 1946 | 5 | 3 |
| 1945 | 2 | 3 |
| 1944 | 7 | 2 |
| 1943 | 1 | 7 |
| 1942 | 4 | 1 |
| 1941 | 1 | 2 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| Before 1940 | 26 | 102 |
| Total | 805 | 135 |
Diphtheria.
For the fifth year in succession, no case of diphtheria was notified.