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
Islington 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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205
[1913
Certificates of Exemption.—The excessive number of 1,646 certificates
of exemption, relating to 22.3 per cent. of the births, were received by the
Vaccination Officers. This is an increase of 405 on the return for the preceding
year (1911), and of 566 on that for 1910, and 882 on that for 1909.
The ensuing Table shows very clearly the large increase in these certificates
since 1897, which is the year they were first received as an excuse for the
failure of parents to have their infants vaccinated.
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
14
103
101
127
106
73
103
89
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
110
123
259
588
824
1,080
1,241
1,646
If these years be divided into quinquennial periods, the exemptions will
be possibly more clearly appreciated:—
1897—1901 451
1902—1906 498
1907—1911 3,992
These figures indicate that there has been an increase in the number of
these certificates of 785 per cent. between the quinquennial periods of
1897-1901 and 1907-11.
The following Table shows how the exemption certificates were distributed throughout the borough and the percentages they bore to the births, less the children who died unvaccinated:—
| Registration Sub-District. | Births, less Infants died unvaccinated. | Exemptions. | Percentage of Exemption Certificates to Births. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tufnell | 710 | 196 | 27.6 |
| Upper Holloway | 929 | 169 | 18.2 |
| Tollington | 606 | 125 | 20.6 |
| Highbury | 1,131 | 338 | 29.9 |
| Lower Holloway | 940 | 197 | 20.9 |
| Barnsbury | 1,402 | 256 | 18.2 |
| Islington, South-East | 1,669 | 365 | 21.9 |
| The Borough | 7,387 | 1,646 | 22.3 |