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
Walthamstow 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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23
8. INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Notification in the 5-15 years age-group during 1949 was as
follows, the figures for 1948 being shown in parenthesis: Scarlet
Fever, 113 (168); Diphtheria, Nil (1); Pneumonia, 7 (21);
Erysipelas, 1 (1); Cerebrospinal Meningitis, Nil (1); Measles,
658 (632); Whooping Cough, 67 (558); Dysentery, 1, (2);
Anterior Poliomyelitis, 10 (2).
Non-notifiable infectious diseases are usually brought to light
by the weekly returns made by Head Teachers under the local
Regulations as to Infectious Diseases in Schools.
The following are the weekly average numbers of children away from school owing to exclusions and the non-notifiable infectious and other diseases named:—
| Chicken Pox. | Measles & G.M. | Whooping Cough | Sore Throat. | Influenza. | Diarrhoea. | Mumps. | Scabies. | Ringworm. | Various. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 109 | 248 | 7 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | 394 |
| 1948 | 41 | 19 | 73 | 58 | 18 | 3 | 48 | 1 | 1 | 418 | 680 |
Immunisation Clinic.—Follow-up arrangements were as
detailed in the 1939 Report.
The following table shows the work done at the Clinic:—
Total immunisations completed during 1949 1,989
(a) School age 304
(b) Pre-school age 1,684
(c) Over school age 1
Immunisation at schools (included above):—
Number completely immunised 213
Number partly immunised 50
Number already immunised given an extra dose 1,459
During the past five years the percentages of children protected in the various age-groups were as follows:—
| Year | Population | Percentage Immunised | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 years | 5-15 years | 0-15 years | ||
| 1945 | 103,320 | 40.7 | 80.4 | 65.7 |
| 1946 | 118,660 | 50.3 | 77.4 | 67.7 |
| 1947 | 123,100 | 52.4 | 86.0 | 72.2 |
| 1948 | 122,700 | 61.5 | 91.5 | 79.2 |
| 1949 | 123,400 | 62.5 | 96.2 | 82.1 |