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
Islington 1902
Forty-seventh annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Borough of Islington
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168
[1902
The following statement has been prepared to show more readily than in 7 able CIX., which is planned on the Local Government Board model, the percentage proportions of vaccinations to births (less those children who died before vaccination had been performed), during the last twenty-two years.
| Years. | Vaccinations per 100 births, less infants who died unvaccinated. | Years. | Vaccinations per 100 births, less infants who died unvaccinated. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 89.8 | 1891 | 87.4 |
| l88l | 90.8 | 1892 | 85.5 |
| 1882 | 91.1 | 1893 | 85.0 |
| 1883 | 90.4 | 1894 | 84.0 |
| 1884 | 90.5 | 1895 | 70.9 |
| 1885 | 90.6 | 1896 | 73.9 |
| 1886 | 90.8 | 1897 | 73.3 |
| 1887 | 90.4 | 1898 | 64.9 |
| 1888 | 88.4 | 1899 | 66.4 |
| 1889 | 89.0 | 1900 | 67.9 |
| 1890 | 89.3 | 1901 | 75.8 |
| 1902 (6 mths.) | 81.7 |
The returns for 1902 (first six months) indicate a still further
improvement, for whereas there were in the corresponding half-year of 1901
only 69.9 per cent, of the infants (less those who died unvaccinated) vaccinated
there were in 1902 817 per cent. It is to be expected that the return for these
six months do not fully indicate the improvement that is really taking place in
the vaccination of the borough, just as the return for the corresponding period
of 1901 did not lead one to expect the high figure that was ultimately
chronicled.
Conscientious Objectors. The law which enables parents who
conscientiously object to have their children vaccinated has been in force
since 1897, and during the four years that have elapsed since then they have
averaged only 109 per annum. Considering all the former outcry against vaccination
these numbers are insignificant. There were only 103 in 1898, 101 in
1899, 127 in 1900, and 106 in 1901. These results are very different
to what one was once led to suppose would occur, and, as they are so
insignificant, are hardly worthy of consideration, for they only represented
ri per cent, of the total births during the last four years.
Re-vaccination.—The necessity of re-vaccination at some period of early
life was clearly proved by the outbreak of Small Pox, for whereas there were
236 persons attacked who had been vaccinated, there was none, or at
all events only one, if an exceedingly doubtful case be included, attacked who
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