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
Camberwell 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.
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77
It occasionally happens that a person is notified as suffering
from diphtheria, although stated to have been previously immunised.
An investigation of these cases is always conducted, and in three such instances reported in 1933 the following facts were elicited:—
| Case. | Schick tested previous to immunisation. | No. of injections. | Schick tested after immunisation. | Period between immunisation and onset of disease. | Remarks. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yes. | 3 | Yes. | 3½ months. | Report from Hospital that case was not regarded as Diphtheria. |
| 2 | Yes. | 3 | Notified as suffering from diphtheria before sufficient time had elapsed for re-Schick test. | 16 days. | Very mild attack. |
| 3 | Yes. | 3 | Do. | 9 days. | Moderately severe attack. |
In regard to these cases, it should be noted that Case 1 was
expected to be immune. In neither of the other two cases had
sufficient time elapsed for full protection to have developed, three
months often being necessary for this to occur. Consequently,
the three cases come into line with expectations, and do not
represent any breakdown at all in the efficacy of the procedure.
A return of the work performed at the Preventive Clinic during
1933 appears on pages 78 and 79.
Scarlet Fever.
Scarlet Fever continued during the year to be mild in form.
There was an increase in the number of notifications received,
1,564 as compared with 919 in 1932; 1,464, equivalent to 93.6 per
cent, of cases notified were removed to an Isolation Hospital,
36 of these patients were subsequently discharged from Hospital as
not suffering from the disease.
The "Return" cases numbered 72. The deaths numbered 6.
The adoption of artificial immunisation facilities similar to
those provided by this Council in connection with diphtheria has
not yet been considered, in view of the present mild character of
scarlet fever.