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The Public Health (Smallpox Prevention) Regulations,
1917.—These regulations empower Medical Officers of Health to
perform vaccination or revaccination of any persons who are
willing to be vaccinated and who have been in immediate contact
with individuals suffering from Smallpox. All those exposed to
infection who accepted vaccination or revaccination were attended
to by their own doctors or by the public vaccinator and there arose
no occasion to perform any vaccinations under the regulations.
Vaccination.— The duties under the Vaccination Acts and the
Vaccination Order, 1930, were transferred to the Borough Council
on the 1st April, 1930, and were undertaken by the Public Health
Department.
The Return for 1931 shows that 500 births were registered in
the Borough, of which 201 or 42.5% were vaccinated, and 205 or
43.3% were exempted from vaccination by reason of Statutory
Declarations of objection to vaccination.
At the close of 1932, 67 cases were outstanding; 26 of these
had removed to other districts, the Vaccination Officers of which
had been duly apprised ; and 5 removed to places unknown,
leaving 36 cases or 7.5 % unaccounted for.
Scarlet Fever.—During the year 137 cases of this disease
were notified as compared with 104 the previous year. The disease
continued to be of a mild type generally but 2 deaths were registered
of severe cases with complications.
The 12 cases nursed at home were kept under supervision in
order to ensure that the necessary precautions for the prevention
of the spread of the disease were being maintained.
Return Cases.—This definition is applied to cases of Scarlet
Fever which occur in a house within 28 days of the discharge from
hospital of a previous case. In the course of investigation of one
return case it was found that the first child contracting scarlet fever