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 1919

Sixty-fourth annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington

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149
[1919
postponed under medical authority, thus leaving 1,239 infants unaccounted for.
The return of certificates of exemption, therefore represents 21.6 per cent,
of the registered births.

Table: It is sad to observe that there has been a continual fall in the percentage of infants who have been vaccinated. This is especially noticeable in the last ten years. The decrease was first apparent in 1910,and it has gone on increasing since that year, as may be seen by the figures given in the following Table:—

It is sad to observe that there has been a continual fall in the percentage of infants who have been vaccinated. This is especially noticeable in the last ten years. The decrease was first apparent in 1910,and it has gone on increasing since that year, as may be seen by the figures given in the following Table:—

Years.Vaccination per 100 births, less infants who died unvaccinated.Years.Vaccination per 100 births, less infants who died unvaccinated.
188089.8190067.9
188190.8190175.8
188291.i190280.0
188390.4190381.2
188490.5190482.3
188590.6190580.5
188690.8190679.9
188790.4190776.9
188888.4190872.4
188989.0190970.7
189089.3191066.7
189187.4191162.3
189285.5191254.1
189385.0191351.1
189484.0191446.8
189570. 9191549.0
189673.9191647.5
189773.3191746.7
189864.9191846.4
189966.4

Table: How serious the matter is will be seen from the following figures

How serious the matter is will be seen from the following figures

In 1897-1901(five years) therewere 451exemption certificates.
In 1902-1906do.498do.
In 1907-1911do.3,992do.
In 1912-1916do.9,218do.

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The Medical Officer asserts advisedly-and his assertion is based on his
intimate knowledge of Small Pox—that such figures are lamentable, nnd that
if unfortunately this disease should again attack the borough with any
virulence, it will be found that large numbers of people will die, and that the
sufferers for the most part will be children, as it was in pre-vaccination days,
and that the adult population will be the lesser sufferers by reason of the fact
that so many of them were vaccinated in infancy. Only last year a boy was
attacked with the disease who had never been vaccinated, for his father was
a conscientious objector. The Medical Officer of Health visited the father
and strongly advised him to have his other child protected, but he persistently
refused, as his conscientious objections could not be overcome. On the second