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some doubt cast upon the accuracy of some of the certificates of
vaccination and the authorities at London Airport were taking the
greatest precautions to prevent the importation of other cases of
smallpox.
The notifications of arrivals continued until March and
subsequently notifications were received of persons who had travelled
by sea and who had been in contact with cases or suspected cases of
smallpox in May, August, October and November.
In addition to the surveillance of these contacts requests
were received from general practitioners to give an opinion on a
number of cases presenting symptoms not unlike those of smallpox.
As I have said above, no cases of smallpox were found but the
diagnosis was sufficiently in doubt to require the advice of one of
the Ministry's consultants in three cases.
The additional clinics for vaccination were in general organised
and staffed by the London County Council; general practitioners
also carried out large numbers of vaccinations. . Vaccinations in the
Public Health Department were mainly confined to re-vaccination of
the staff and of the staff of other departments where there appeared
to be more than the usual risk and the vaccination of certain groups
of persons where, for one reason or another, this could more
conveniently be done by arrangement than by sending the individuals
to one of the clinics.
Another less serious aspect of the outbreak was that for
some months continental countries demanded an international
certificate of vaccination for visitors from this country and authentication
of the signature of the certifying doctor increased from the
usual steady number of about 300 to 400 per year to about 3 ,000 during
the first half of 1962.
Diphtheria
No cases of diphtheria occurred in Hampstead during 1962,
although two cases were notified as diphtheria and the corrected
diagnosis, in each case, of glandular fever was only made after
investigation in hospital.