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73
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.
Glycerinated calf lymph is the standard vaccine used in this
country and the number of primary vaccinations carried out in the
Borough during 1966 was 2,650, 2,404 under Council arrangements
and 246 by general practitioners; figures for re-vaccination were
213 and 40 respectively.
Occasionally a smallpox scare in the country results in a steep
rise in the number of vaccinations effected, as witnessed during
1962, but generally the trend is downwards. During the current year,
outbreaks of variola minor occurred in the West Midlands, Pontypool
and Salford which again resulted in an expected resurgence of
demand for vaccination. Some residents about to travel abroad were
unable to obtain treatment from their respective doctors in time.
Accordingly, arrangements were made for special evening smallpox
vaccination clinics to be held at two of the Council's welfare centres,
namely, Market Street and Shooters Hill Road. A total of eight
sessions were held at which 50 primary vaccinations and 707 revaccinations
were carried out. These were in addition to those
effected at the Council's normal prophylaxis clinics.
It was reported that, of the 50 West Midlands smallpox cases,
32 had never been vaccinated and a chance comparison of vaccination
techniques revealed that multi-puncture produced a reaction
some 1½ days before that of the scratch method. It is also interesting
to record that use was made of the electron microscope to identify
smallpox virus and to differentiate them from those of chicken pox.
Moreover, while identificati on by the old method was calculated in
hours and even days, an unequivocal diagnosis was reached in a
matter of minutes by the new approach.
Today, although every precaution is taken at seaports and
airports, infected persons do occasionally slip through but the
comparative immunity of the country has hitherto been due mainly
to its high vaccination state. With the fall in the number of vaccinations
this fortunate state of affairs cannot continue indefinitely.
Measles
The normal biennial fluctuation was evident in the number of
cases notified during the year which fell from a total of 2,608 in 1965
to 1,250, the figure for the current year.