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
Fulham 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Fulham Borough]
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The figures show that 54 per cent. of the infants born in 1933 had been
successfully vaccinated by the end of January, 1935.
MEASLES.
During the year 2,967 cases of Measles were notified, and 31 deaths
occurred from this disease; all except two of the deaths were in children under
5 years of age. During 1933 there were 163 cases and two deaths.
The number of cases and of deaths occurring during each month of the year 1934 was as follows:—
| First Quarter:— | Third Quarter:— | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases. | Deaths. | Cases. | ||
| January | 173 | 2 | July | 67 |
| February | 583 | 3 | August | 15 |
| March | 1,100 | 11 | September | 8 |
| 1,856 | 16 | 90 | ||
| April | 586 | 7 | October | — |
| May | 308 | 5 | November | 1 |
| June | 123 | 3 | December | 3 |
| 1,017 | 15 | 4 | ||
The case mortality, that is to say the percentage of cases which proved
fatal, was 1.04.
It will be seen from the above figures that the epidemic which commenced
in January (there were only 23 cases during the last quarter of 1933) reached
its height in March and rapidly declined until it subsided in August. Compared
with that of 1932 the epidemic of 1934 commenced more suddenly (173 cases
in January against 68); was of the same duration; reached its height a month
earlier; caused 285 more cases and a case mortality of 0.07 above that of 1932.
There were 1,519 cases in girls and 1,448 cases in boys. Regarding the ages of the children affected the following summary shows that those under seven years of age were the chief sufferers:—
| 0 to 1 | 1 to 2 | 2 to 3 | 3 to 4 | 4 to 5 | 5 to 6 | 6 to 7 | 7 to 8 | 8 to 9 | 9 to 10 | 10 to 15 | 15 to 20 | 20 to 35 | 35 to 45 | 45 to 65 | 65 and up | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 113 | 269 | 322 | 106 | 466 | 556 | 378 | 164 | 84 | 38 | 89 | 31 | 40 | 5 | 6 | — | 2967 |
Children were admitted to the special infectious diseases hospitals of
the London County Council, 488 cases being admitted. No difficulty was
experienced in obtaining admission to hospital for these patients, although at
the height of the epidemic it was necessary to send patients to the more