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is quite formidable especially as reinforcing injections are often required.
It is understandable, that mothers with several children find
it difficult not to overlook any of the necessary injections especially
booster doses . The London County Council as local health authority do
a great deal to remind parents of what is required by each child at
the appropriate time. In the interest of their children's health and
well being parents should co-operate and should carefully retain the
personal immunisation record card with which each child is provided.
As this is written the only cases of diphtheria in the country
are occurring in Southwark. A relatively small number of carriers have
been disclosed by extensive investigation. Many of the infected children
have either never been immunised or have been only incompletely immunised.
The occurrence of this infection in Southwark in 1963 can be seen to
be due to the lack of adequate imnunity by certain children; on the
other hand, its localisation and confinement is due to the fact that
a substantial proportion of children have been adequately immunised.
Fortunately the disease has so far been mild but diphtheria must always
be treated with respect. In a susceptible person it can be lethal.
The lesson is clear. Parents must ensure that their children receive
primary immunisation and booster doses as recommended, both in the
interests of their own children and those of others.
A diagnosis of Smallpox was excluded in several cases in which
the condition was suspected, and a number of persons who immediately
before arrival in this country had been in contact with smallpox were
kept under surveillance for the appropriate period. Smallpox which
occurred in North London at the end of 1961 appeared in a neighbouring
south London borough in January 1962. In particular a child who had
several days previously been resident in a large institution in Southwark
was admitted to the smallpox isolation hospital as a suspect case.
Fortunately adiagnosis of smallpox was eventually excluded, but meantime
appropriate preventive measures were taken at the institution in
question. The presence of these cases in the community created a
public demand for vaccination which placed heavy demands on medical
and nursing staff.
Health Education
Attention continued to be given throughout the year to this very
important aspect of the work of a Public Health Department. The fundamental
message which every effort was made to put over was the need
for the general public to take advantage of the services which are
provided. In particular in conjunction with the London County Council
as local health authority, posters were displayed and leaflets were
issued stressing the importance of parents ensuring that their children
received the benefit of all the immunising procedures now available,
including reinforcing doses where applicable.