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36
My intention was, that if I got the information asked for in the
letter, I would at times of pressure only visit those notified cases of 7
years of age or over and those of an earlier age who did not possess
three good vaccination marks.
As a result of the Compulsory Education Act, the children of the
London School Board are compelled to congregate together in large
numbers daily, and they therefore run a very exceptional risk of
transmission of infection from one child to another. A very great
responsibility therefore attaches to the London School Board when
infectious diseases are epidemic, and the Schools are regarded by all
Medical Officers of Health with a great deal of concern on these
occasions.
Shortly after the present outbreak of Small pox occurred, the
Council made a request to the London School Board for an opportunity
to be given of inspecting the children in their Schools, in order to
determine whether these children were protected by vaccination. The
Board by a narrow majority consented, but added a rider giving
parents the opportunity of refusing to allow their children to be
examined, and providing that if the parents did object, the child
should be exempted from examination. At the time I pointed out to
the Public Health Committee that the circular letter addressed to the
parents was so worded as to amount to an invitation to parents to
avail themselves of the opportunity to object, and subsequent events
demonstrated that I was justified in my fears that under the
circumstances we should do more harm than good by pressing the
matter.
Dr. King Warry, the Medical Officer of Health of Hackney,
pushed the matter of inspection with the result that he reported that
the average number of refusals for 26 Schools was 48% and in some
Schools it amounted to 71%. He found that bills were distributed
broadcast suggesting that parents should not allow their children to
be inspected by the Public Vaccinators and to be "poisoned with
filth taken from animals, which the doctors called vaccine." The total
number of children examined was 12,890 and 3,640 were found to be
unvaccinated. Dr. King Warry was of opinion that 50% of the
children not examined were unvaccinated.