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15
Smallpox
New regulations regarding International Certificates of Vaccination came into
force on 1st August, 1963.
Travellers arriving by air from locally infected or "endemic" areas, who refuse
vaccination, will now, unless they are in transit, be isolated for 14 days from the
date of departure from the infected area, or for the length of their stay in this
country, whichever is the less
If a traveller by air is proceeding within a few days to another country that is
party to these regulations, then the Port Health Authority of this other country will
be informed by telex or telephone.
Whilst the new regulations also apply to sea travellers it is not intended that
Port Medical Officers should exercise these powers as a matter of routine, except in
relation to infected ships.
Of the 21 references for suspected smallpox and supervision of possible smallpox
contacts, therefore, 19 of these were arrivals to this country from declared smallpox
areas who were reported to be proceeding to addresses in Islington and were not in
possession of valid international certificates of vaccination,
In accordance with the abovementioned regulations they were all visited and kept
under surveillance for the required period of time.
Two patients were referred by family practitioners to the Medical Officer of
Health or his Deputy as suffering from rashes of a type where it was desirable to
exclude smallpox as a possible cause
One patient was a 25 year old female Chinese student, who had recently arrived from
Singapore on the Liner s. s. "Chusan" It was not thought to be a case of smallpox and
subsequent bacteriological examination reports were negative
The other patient was a 3½ year old child, who was found to be suffering from
chicken-pox

(Figures kindly furnished by Divisional Medical Officer, London County Council)
* Including Re-vaccinations
Group Sessions for Schoolchildren discontinued
** The small number of vaccinations undertaken in 1963 was a direct result of
implementing the Ministry of Health, advice regarding the timing of such
vaccinations i.e. at 16 - 19 months of age instead of at 5 months.