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national Certificates of vaccination against Cholera and Smallpox
and, to be valid, the certificate must bear an approved stamp
which certifies that the signature of the Vaccinator is that of a
practising medical practitioner.
During the year some 285 certificates of persons proceeding
abroad were so authenticated, of these 241 were in respect of Smallpox,
30 for Cholera and 14 for Typhoid. Three vaccinations were
carried out by your Medical Officer of Health.
Measles.—The normal biennial fluctuation was less evident
during 1959. The increase in the number of confirmed cases rose
from 306 in 1958 to 637 for the current year. Of these 338 were
males and 299 females.
Twenty-seven cases occurred in children under one year of age.
589 between 1 and 10 years and 21 over 10 years.
Four cases were removed to hospital and there were no deaths.
The distribution of the cases was as follows: —East Greenwich
218; West Greenwich 162; St. Nicholas, Deptford 15; Charlton and
Kidbrooke 242.
During 1957, 1,194 cases were recorded and in 1956 there were
44.
Whooping Cough.—Altogether 34 notifications were received
in 1959, a decrease of 21 from the previous year. The year 1957
produced 97 and there were 122 for 1956.
Area distribution for the current period was: —East Greenwich
5; West Greenwich 11; St. Nicholas, Deptford 5; Charlton and
Kidbrooke 13.
One case was admitted to hospital and there were no
fatalities.
With regard to children under 5 years, 7 were immunised
against whooping cough while 53 other children received a combined
antigen (whooping cough and diphtheria) and a further 811
received a triple antigen (whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus)
giving a final total of 871 whooping cough immunisations carried
out during the year by the County Council.
Diphtheria.—There was a Nil return recorded for the current
year, a result similar to that for the previous year and for the years
1957 and 1956.
One case was confirmed in each of the years 1955 and 1954;
there was none in 1953; 4 in 1952; and a nil return was recorded
for 1951.