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Overcrowding was abated as follows:-
Premises. Dwellings therein.
Families. Persons.
Re-housed by London County Council. 102 141 621
" " Borough Council. 23 28 123
" " Other Boroughs. 1 1 5
" " Owners. 4 5 18
Moved Away 8 11 55
By marriages, deaths etc. 4 4 44
Total 142 190 866
INFECTIOUS DISEASES & TUBERCULOSIS .
1731 notifications of Infectious Disease were received
during the year, of which 1639 were confirmed.
These confirmed diagnoses showed a decrease in comparison
with 1946, due chiefly to the considerable decline in Scabies,
which was less than half the previous year's total. There
were, however, increases in several diseases, particularly
Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, Puerperal pyrexia, Zymotic Enteritis
and Whooping Cough.
The most disturbing features wore the DIPHTHERIA figure of
40 as against 27 in 1946, and a further increase in WHOOPING
COUGH on the abnormally high total of 1946.
Live births Confirmed Diptheria No. of Diphth. "Booster"
Cases Imnunisations Injections
1945 1305 38 875
1946 2903 27 1709 68
1947 2434 40 1745 34
Between 1945 and 1946 there was a very substantial
increase In population and births, with a similarly high
increase in the number of Diphtheria immunisations. This,
with a decline in the number of confirmed Diptheria diagnoses,
was a satisfactory result. Between 1946 and 1947, however,
the number of immunisations was certainly exceeded, but only
very slightly, whilst there was a 50 per cent decrease in the
number of "booster" injections given to children on reaching
school age. At the same time, it should bo noted that the
increase In population was much smaller than between 1945/46;
there was an appreciable fall in the birth rate; and during
last year there was no specialised immunisation propaganda
campaign, as in 1946.
Nevertheless, a significant fact is revealed in that the
highest incidence of Diptheria In 1947 occurred in children of
approximately 5 years of ago when the "booster" injection is
recommended. Actually, there were 23 confirmed cases of
Diphtheria between 5 and 14 years of age, and as only 34
"booster" injections were given during the year, it is probable
that very few of these received this necessary additional
injection.
Bearing in mind the sharp rise in the number of Diphtheria
cases during the year, this would seem a conclusive proof of
the necessity not only for continued immunisation publicity,
but also particularly for the "booster" injection before
commencing school.
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