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
Penge 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Penge]
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Diphtheria Immunisation
The following is a return of the number of children resident in the district who were immunised against diphtheria during the year:—
| Children born 1951-1955 | Children born 1941-1950 | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary inoculations | 378 | 43 | 421 |
| Reinforcing „ | 37 | 249 | 286 |
Penge children under the age of 15 years on the 31st December, 1955,
who had completed a course of immunisation at any time before that date
were as follows:—
Aged 0-4 years inclusive 1,125
„ 5-14 „ „ 3,580
Smallpox
No case was notified and one Penge contact of a case occurring elsewhere
was reported.
The following shows the number of Penge residents who were vaccinated against smallpox during the year:—
| Age at 31/12/55 | Under 1 | 1 to 4 | 5 to 14 | 15 or over | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaccinated | 240 | 130 | 16 | 7 | 393 |
| Re-vaccinated | — | 1 | 5 | 7 | 13 |
Scarlet Fever
There were 17 cases of scarlet fever notified (as against 79 in 1954) and
8 cases were removed to hospital.
The disease generally was of a mild type and there were no "return" cases.
No deaths were recorded.
Paratyphoid Fever
Two cases were notified during the year.
Poliomyelitis
Four cases occurred during the year, two being non-paralytic and two
paralytic.
Sonne Dysentery
There was only one case of Sonne Dysentery during 1955, this being
contracted abroad.