View report page

20
for any necessary vaccination and re-vaccination. The surveillance
of contacts living in other Boroughs was undertaken by the local
health authority for the area of residence.
The family of the infected child resided in a house in multiple
occupation, and Dr. Gordon took charge of the surveillance and
vaccination of the five families living at the premises. The occupants,
all of whom were from Pakistan, were confined to the house
throughout the period of surveillance, and no one was allowed to
enter the house without authorisation. The Council made arrangements
for the welfare of the occupants including the purchase of
food, collection of milk bottles and the removal of refuse and
infected materials for incineration.
On 20th October the father of the infected child was reported
to be suffering from a fever with pains in the back but no rash.
He was immediately removed to the hospital to which his wife
and child had been admitted. No rash, in fact, developed in his
case and it was considered possible that he was suffering from a
rare form of smallpox, in which no eruption appears (variola
sine eruptione). Whilst in hospital the mother was found to have
contracted a form of smallpox (variola inoculatum), but the
attack was comparatively mild. The mother and child made a
complete and uninterrupted recovery.
We adopted the policy of arranging for the vaccination of only
those at risk comprising members of the public in direct or indirect
contact with the case, the general practitioners, receptionists and
caretakers of the surgeries, doctors and nurses in contact with the
case at the hospital to which the child had been first admitted,
ambulance personnel and Health Department staff. During the
course of the work the medical officers performed 252 vaccinations
and made 2,072 examinations at 47 premises in 21 days.
As the mild case of smallpox in the mother arose in this Borough,
the World Health Organization in accordance with the International
Sanitary Regulations, designated the London Borough of Wandsworth
an " infected area". The designation was withdrawn on
7th November.
All three members of the family were discharged from hospital
on 6th November. No further cases of smallpox occurred either in
Wandsworth or in any other borough.
Photographs depicting some of the work of the disinfecting staff
following the incidence of smallpox will be found in the centre
pages (Plates B and C).
International Certificates of Vaccination and Inoculation
During the year 6,271 requests were received from residents in
the Borough for a certificate of vaccination or inoculation to be
authenticated for the purpose of travel abroad. The signature of