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
Greenwich 1942
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
Excluding notifications received for Tuberculosis the total
number notified during 1942 was 1319 as compared with 753 for the
previous year.
The usual biennial epidemic of Measles was responsible for
approximately one half of the notifications. Scarlet Fever shewed
an increase of 106, whilst "Whooping Cough and Diphtheria rose from
184 and 50 to 235 and 72 respectively.
PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
| DISEASE | UNDER 1 YR. | 1-5 YRS. | 5 YRS & UPWARDS | TOTAL | NO. ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria | 2 | 20 | 50 | 72 | 72 |
| Dysentery | – | 6 | 16 | 22 | 22 |
| Erysipelas | – | 1 | 31 | 32 | 14 |
| Scarlet Fever | 1 | 51 | 107 | 159 | 146 |
| Enteric Fever | – | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Continued Fever | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Puerperal Fever | – | – | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | – | – | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Cerebro-Spinal Fever | 2 | 2 | 11 | 15 | 15 |
| Malaria | – | – | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Measles | 31 | 267 | 352 | 650 | 37 |
| Whooping Cough | 23 | 131 | 81 | 235 | 32 |
| Diarrhoea | 21 | 6 | – | 27 | 24 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 6 | – | – | 6 | 4 |
| Pneumonia, Acute Primary or Acute Influenzal | 4 | 10 | 67 | 81 | 53 |
| TOTAL | 90 | 495 | 734 | 1319 | 438 |
DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION.
During the year 957 children were immunised under the Council's
Scheme and 940 by the School Medical Officer, making a total of
1897 cases completed as compared with 1160 cases for the previous
year. Of this total 385 were given Post-Schick tests.
Following the national appeal for more children to be
immunised the existing Scheme has now been extended so that it will
be possible for parents to have their children immunised by their
own Doctor.
VACCINATION.
Of the 576 births registered during the year 1941, 225 were
successfully vaccinated (39.0 per cent).