London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

Paddington 1947

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]

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Table: DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION.—The following tables give information as to the numbers of children immunised during the year by private practitioners, London County Council school medical officers or at the Council's clinic; and the estimated numbers and percentages of the child population who had completed a full course of immunisation at any time up to the 31st December, 1947.

DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION.—The following tables give information as to the numbers of children immunised during the year by private practitioners, London County Council school medical officers or at the Council's clinic; and the estimated numbers and percentages of the child population who had completed a full course of immunisation at any time up to the 31st December, 1947.

No. of children who completed a full course of primary immunisation during the year 1947No. of children given a secondary or reinforcing injection during the year 1947
Under 5 years5 to 14 yearsTotal
1,2892401,529109

Table: Number of children who had completed afull course of immunisation at any time up to 31st December, 1947.

Number of children who had completed afull course of immunisation at any time up to 31st December, 1947.

Age at 31.12.47Under 1 year12345-910-14Total under 15
Number immunised618358188837433,3691,8058,514
Estimated mid-year population, 1947.8,44011,00019,440
Estimated percentage of child population immunised39.647043.8

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The scheme whereby immunisation is carried out by private practitioners at the homes of patients continued in
operation. The number of children immunised under this scheme was 50. The material is supplied free by the
Council and a fee of 3s. 6d. per injection (usually two) is paid to the doctor.
Owing to a greatly increased demand for immunisation, and in order that residents of the southern part of the
Borough should be better served, an additional clinic was opened in November at St. David's Hall, St. Mary's Terrace,
and is held on Wednesday afternoons.
Publicity continued on the lines of last year, and the Health Visitors did much good work in bringing to the notice
of parents the undoubted benefits of immunisation. An additional form of publicity was the showing of a suitable
film during the Paddington Civic Week.
WHOOPING COUGH.—It was decided to re-introduce facilities for the immunisation of children against whooping
cough, and inoculations commenced in July. By the end of the year 1,111 children had received combined whooping
cough/diphtheria immunisation, and 310 who had previously been immunised against diphtheria only were inoculated
against whooping cough. The material used is Alum Precipitated Whooping Cough Vaccine containing 20,000 m
organisms per c.c., and this is combined with a Diphtheria Prophylactic for dual inoculation.
We have no proof that Whooping Cough vaccine is as efficacious as the Diphtheria Prophylactic which is used, but
available data suggests that protection is afforded against Whooping Cough. A large scale controlled experiment is
being carried out elsewhere, the result of which is not yet available, but it was felt that even if the protection was only
slight, such protection ought to be afforded to the children in the Borough.
VACCINATION.—The latest return available is for the year 1946. This shows that of the 3,523 children whose births
were registered during that year 59.8% were successfully vaccinated, and 8.9% were exempted on production of
statutory declarations. Insusceptibility, removals, not traced, etc., account for the remaining 31.3%.