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National Insurance Act, 1946.—From time to time it is
necessary for the Medical Officer of Health to insist that a suspected
'carrier' of, or a person in contact with, an infectious disease should
be precluded from working in order that the risk of transmission
of the disease is minimised. This is especially necessary when the
person concerned is a 'food handler.'
Regulation 3(b) of the National Insurance (Unemployment
and Sickness Benefit) Regulations, 1948, made under the above
Act, enables any person so excluded to claim sickness benefit on
production of a certificate issued by the Medical Officer of Health.
In the Ministry of Health Circular 115/48 it has been suggested
that the Medical Officer of Health should be prepared to furnish
such a certificate if, in his opinion, circumstances are such that this
action becomes necessary.
If a Medical Officer of Health requests a person to discontinue
his employment with a view to preventing the spread of an
infectious disease and issues a certificate accordingly, this often
results in hardship, for National Health benefits are considerably
less than a person's normal earnings. However, under Section 26
of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1959, the
Council may, if they think fit, compensate such person for any
loss occasioned by his compliance with the Medical Officer of
Health's request.
During the past three years it has not been necessary to
issue any such certificates.
Smallpox.—There were no cases notified during the year, but
a number of contacts were reported arriving in the Borough from
abroad, and these were kept under observation for the requisite
period.
Public Health (Smallpox Prevention) Regulations, 1917.—These
Regulations give a Medical Officer of Health power to vaccinate or
re-vaccinate without charge, any contacts of Smallpox cases willing
to submit themselves for treatment. As a result of the outbreaks
mentioned at the beginning of the Section some 703 vaccinations
were so effected.
Vaccination.—Smallpox is a very dangerous and disfiguring
disease and prior to the introduction of compulsory vaccination in
1853, nine-tenths of smallpox victims were children under 5 years of
age. Subsequent to this period, children, by and large, escaped.
However, since 1898, when the 'conscientious objection' clause
made its appearance, vaccinations have declined steeply and the
position deteriorated still further from 1948 when vaccination
became optional.