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
London County Council 1904
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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The proportion of cases of smallpox at these ages admitted into hospital in recent periods of
epidemic prevalence is shown in the following tables. The small proportion of the vaccinated cases as
compared with the large proportion of unvaccinated cases at the younger ages is conspicuous in each
period. There is no doubt that the systematic re-vaccination in the later years of school age, of children
vaccinated in infancy would largely protect against smallpox both the children of parents who do not
object to vaccination, as well as the children of parents who have such objection. For the former children
it would renew the protection against smallpox which is conferred upon them by their vaccination in
infancy, but which in later years wanes. For the latter children it would reduce the opportunity of
exposure to the infection of smallpox. Further it would effect a saving of a considerable amount of
public money now expended upon the provision and maintenance of smallpox hospitals. Tn this respect
the experience of Berlin furnishes a lesson which London might well learn.
| Ages. | 1893-4-5. | 1901-2. | 1903. | 1904. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0—5 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.3 | 7.6 |
| 5—10 | 8.4 | 7.6 | 8.7 | 11.6 |
| 10—15 | 10.7 | 8.1 | 4.2 | 7.8 |
| 15—25 | 31.4 | 26.7 | 19.2 | 24.7 |
| 25 and above | 41.8 | 49.8 | 60.6 | 48.3 |
Cases of smallpox at several ages admitted into the hospitals of the Metropolitans Asylums Boardper cent, of total cases admitted.
| Ages. | Vaccinated. | Unvaccinated. | Doubtful. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1893-4-5 | 1901-2. | 1903. | 1904. | 1893-4.5 | 1901-2. | 1903. | 1904. | 1893-4.5 | 1901-2 | 1903 | 1904 | |
| 0—5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 32.2 | 31.1 | 27.6 | 23.7 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 4.8 |
| 5—10 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 25.6 | 25.2 | 29.9 | 35.2 | 7.1 | 6.6 | 4.3 | 0.0 |
| 10—15 | 9.2 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 15.2 | 17.3 | 10.3 | 18.0 | 10.9 | 6.9 | 4.3 | 9.5 |
| 15—25 | 37.9 | 30.5 | 17.5 | 28.7 | 16.2 | 16.6 | 24.1 | 16.5 | 20.0 | 21.3 | 17.4 | 23.8 |
| 25 & above | 49.7 | 62.6 | 77.9 | 67.5 | 10.8 | 9.8 | 8.0 | 6.5 | 60.7 | 63.2 | 73.9 | 61.9 |
In previous reports I have referred to the large proportion of children born in London appearing in recent years in the vaccination returns as " not finally accounted for." The proportion in successive years has been as follows. The figures for the years subsequent to 1902 are not yet available, but it will be noted that since 1898 the proportion has declined—
| Year. | Children not finally accounted for (including cases postponed) per cent, of total births. | Year. | Children not finally accounted for (including cases postponed) per cent, of total births. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1872 | 8.8 | 1888 | 10.3 |
| 1873 | 8.7 | 1889 | 11.6 |
| 1874 | 8.8 | 1890 | 13.9 |
| 1875 | 9.3 | 1891 | 16.4 |
| 1876 | 6.5 | 1892 | 18.4 |
| 1877 | 7.1 | 1893 | 18.2 |
| 1878 | 7.1 | 1894 | 20.6 |
| 1879 | 7.8 | 1895 | 24.9 |
| 1880 | 7.0 | 1896 | 26.4 |
| 1881 | 5.7 | 1897 | 29.1 |
| 1882 | 6.6 | 1898 | 33.0 |
| 1883 | 6.5 | 1899 | 27.7 |
| 1884 | 6.8 | 1900 | 25.8 |
| 1885 | 7.0 | 1901 | 24.1 |
| 1886 | 7.8 | 1902 | 21.3 |
| 1887 | 9.0 |
Since, and including the year 189S, the vaccination returns have included a statement of the
number of children in respect of whom "certificates of conscientious objection" have been obtained.
The number of these children represent the following percentage of the births in the years 1898-1902,
1898, 1.4, 1899, 10, 1900, 10, 1901, 1 1, 1902, 0.8.
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