London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Finsbury 1960

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finsbury Borough]

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IMMUNISATION AGAINST POLIOMYELITIS
(Information kindly provided by Dr.W. G.Harding. M. R.C.S., L.R.C.P.,
D.P.H. Divisional Medical Officer of Health, L.C.C. Division III).

The following table summarises the development of the national immunisation programme:-

May and June 1956Children of all ages "registered" for inoculation but Ministry chose children born in certain months of 1947-54 for inoculation. Supplies of vaccine were limited.
December 1956 to March 1957Further months chosen by Ministry.
June 1957 to December 1957Inoculation extended to all who had registered born 1947-56.
January 1958Age range extended to include those born 1944-57 and priority groups added (expectant mothers, general practitioners and their families, London Ambulance Service personnel and their families
September 1958 January 1959Young people bom 1933 or later included. Third injections started- not less than 7 months after the second injection
February 1960Scheme extended to include those born before 1933 but not yet 40.

In Division 3 which comprises the Metropolitan Boroughs of
Finsbury, Holborn and Islington, the bulk of immunisations was carried
out in the maternity and child welfare centres, and in the schools.
These activities for which special additional sessions were introduced
in all child welfare centres including Leage Street and Pine Street,
were supplemented by the efforts of general practitioners in the area,
as well as by ad hoc activities organised by the Divisional Health
Office in consultation with the three Borough Medical Officers of
Health.
Thus lunch-time sessions, intended primarily for young office
workers in Finsbury and Holborn and not restricted to residents in
these boroughs, were instituted in the Divisional Health Office. 53
Clerkenwell Road, (serving primarily Finsbury) and Holborn Town Hall
in 1958, and later in the Kingsway Hall. In spite of these conveniently
located and timed arrangements the response was initially disappointing
The trafic death of Jeff Hall, the Birmingham footballer, produced a
striking change; on 16th April 1959 no less than 1,112 first injections
were given during one lunch-time session at 53 Clerkenwell Road,
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