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26
Diphtheria, Immunisation. — The active immunisation of
persons against diphtheria has been available for Hackney residents
since January, 1928. Weekly sessions are held at two clinics and
the Council pays the fees of 30 local medical practitioners who
administer immunising injections under the Council scheme. These
practitioners immunised 207 children during the year.

A statement by the Medical Officer of the Clinic follows :—
"There has been a wonderful response to diphtheria immunisation
during 1941. The number of new attendances increased fourfold as
compared with 1940 and reached nearly 2,000'cases. This fact must be
attributed to the Ministry of Health's propaganda and the usual continuous
activities of the Public Health Department of the Local Council in this
respect. Only four cases of suspected diphtheria in immunised children
were reported during the whole year. Three of these on investigation
proved to be septic throats and one was a mild case of clinical diphtheria
and although the bacillus diphtherice gravis was isolated, recovered completely
within a short period, which again proves the efficacy of the
injections. No cases of general or severe local reactions after injections
were reported to me. I still use the T.A.M. (B.W. & Co.) which has again
given a very high percentage of Schick-negative children after three
immunising injections.
"I wish to thank the nurses and clerks, who have co-operated so
zealously in this most useful work."
TUBERCULOSIS.
The number of cases of tuberculosis notified for the first time
during the year was 226—194 pulmonary and 32 non-pulmonary, as
compared with 197 pulmonary and 26 non-pulmonary cases notified
during the year 1940. The deaths from this disease totalled 142—
127 pulmonary and 15 non-pulmonary, as compared with 117 deaths
from pulmonary tuberculosis and 8 from non-pulmonary tuberculosis
in the previous year. The attack rate was 1.82 and the death-rate
1.14 per 1,000 of the population.