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109
Immunisation and Vaccination
Regulation 9 of the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 1968, provides that a medical officer of health may vaccinate or immunise, without charge, any contacts or possible
contacts of a case of infectious disease now to be notified (other
than tuberculosis) who are willing to receive such treatment.
Smallpox
No cases were notified during the year, but 15 persons were
reported arriving in the Borough from abroad without valid
certificates and these were kept under surveillance for the requisite period of time.
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.
Recently attention has been drawn to some serious complications resulting from childhood smallpox vaccination. These,
though small in number, are nevertheless out of proportion to the
risks involved and vaccination of children as a routine procedure
has been discontinued whilst efforts continue to encourage its
retention in cases of travellers to areas where smallpox is endemic.
Glycerinated calf lymph is the standard vaccine used in this
country and the number of primary vaccinations carried out in
the Borough during 1971 was 1,503, 1,156 under Council arrangements and 347 by general practitioners, the total indicating a fall
of 1,123 (42.8%) over that of the previous year. Figures for
re-vaccination were 51 and 264 respectively.
Measles
Current notifications which, at 486, show a fall of 104 from
the previous year, indicate an interruption to the pattern of
biennial fluctuation usual in this disease. Normally, 1971 would
have been a "measles" year but when one reviews the totals of
1,080, 2,345 and 2,608 for the years 1969, 1967 and 1965 respectively, it is clear that our measles vaccination scheme, introduced in May 1968, is beginning to produce beneficial results.
Ten of the notified cases were admitted into hospital, but I am
happy to report that no deaths were recorded.