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27
or water undertaking. Numerous enquiries were received in the Public
Health Department from workplaces and private households with regard
to persons either going to or recently returned from Zermatt, seeking
advice on precautions to be taken against risk of infection.
No secondary cases of typhoid fever occurred in Westminster.
Puerperal Pyrexia
Only two notifications of puerperal pyrexia were received in 1963,
compared with 14 in the previous year. Both cases occurred in local
hospitals, the cause of the pyrexia being unknown.
Smallpox
In my Annual Report for 1960, in connection with the smallpox
case which had occurred in Westminster in October of that year, I drew
attention to the continued need for vaccination as a protective measure,
particularly in these days of high speed travel between Far Eastern
countries and the United Kingdom. This need was brought even more
to the fore in 1961, and early in 1962, when cases of smallpox were
imported into this country from Pakistan, where an epidemic of this
disease existed, and I make no apology for repeating the warning this
year.
With modern means of transport, it is now possible for a person
unknowingly to be in contact with an infectious disease in one country
and within a few hours to have travelled half across the world. Constant
vigilance is required to prevent the spread of disease, and vaccination
against smallpox is clearly still necessary until such time as this disease
has been eradicated.
Fortunately, no case of smallpox occurred in Westminster during
1963, although on several occasions information was received in the
Public Health Department concerning persons who had been in contact
with the disease abroad. In each case the necessary preventive measures
were taken and the contacts kept under daily surveillance for the required
period.
International Certificates of Vaccination and Inoculation
Arrangements continued during the year for the authentication by
the Medical Officer of Health of International Certificates of Vaccination
and Inoculation completed by medical practitioners in Westminster.
These certificates are required by passengers proceeding abroad from
this country and the purpose of the authentication is to provide proof to
those health authorities abroad who desire it that the signature of the
person issuing the certificate is that of a registered medical practitioner.
Three thousand and eighty-three such certificates were authenticated
in 1963, compared with 16,206 in 1962 and 4,617 in 1961.