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
Surbiton 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Surbiton]
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controlling an outbreak is a major operation calling for close
co-operation between laboratory, medical practitioners, teachers,
parents and Public Health Department staff.
No person who has been a confirmed case (child or adult) is
regarded as reasonably free from liability to spread infection
until three consecutive negative specimens have been forthcoming.
There is much evidence of reversion after two negatives and even
of this occurring more than once with the same patient.
Sonne Dysentery is a highly infectious disease which can
be fatal in very young children, and because of the rapidity with
which it spreads it is necessary to move quickly in applying
control measures when a case occurs if a large outbreak is to be
prevented.
The greatest chance of success comes when no time is lost
in recognising the condition and notifying it to the Public
Health Department so that preventive action can be initiated
without delay.
POLIOMYELITIS
No case has been reported since 1958, and figures since 1950 are given below:-_
| Year: | 1950: | 1951: | 1952: | 1953: | 1954: | 1955: | 1956: | 1957: | 1958: | 1959: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases: | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 6 | — | — |
| Deaths: | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Arrangements are made whereby doctors may collect antipoliomyelitis
vaccine from the Public Health Department, and this
facility is very much appreciated and used.
At the end of the year good progress has been made towards
the protection by vaccination of the priority groups for which
vaccine had been issued by the Ministry of Health.
These groups were:-
(a) Children and young persons born on or after 1st January,
1933, providing that in the case of babies they have
reached the age of six months;
(b) Expectant mothers.
At the time of writing the Poliomyelitis vaccination scheme
has been extended to include all persons up to the age of 40 years
at the date of registration and also to the following small groups:-
(a) Persons going to visit or reside in a country outside
Europe, other than Canada or the United States of
America.
(b) Practising dental surgeons, dental students, dental
hygienists, student hygienists, dental surgeons'
chairside assistants, and their families.
(c) Practising nurses not working in hospitals (those
working in hospitals are already eligible) and their
families.
17.