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 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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The following is an analysis of the number of children Dick-tested and immunised at Mayford approved school and Shirley and Ongar residential schools during 1936:— Table 32
| Age | Total tested | Percentage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | Dick negative | Dick positive | |||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | |||
| 2 years | 25 | 16 | 20.0 | 37.5 | 80.0 | 62.5 |
| 3 „ | 15 | 9 | 13.3 | 22.2 | 86.7 | 77.8 |
| 4 „ | 5 | 2 | 40.0 | 50.0 | 60.0 | 50.0 |
| 5 „ | 5 | 5 | 100.0 | 80.0 | — | 20.0 |
| 6 „ | 1 | 7 | 100.0 | 71.4 | — | 28.6 |
| 7 „ | 6 | 6 | 66.7 | 66.7 | 33.3 | 33.3 |
| 8 „ | 12 | 6 | 91.7 | 66.7 | 8.3 | 33.3 |
| 9 „ | 18 | 6 | 83.3 | 83.3 | 16.7 | 16.7 |
| 10 „ | 11 | 5 | 90.9 | 80.0 | 9.1 | 20.0 |
| 11 | 2 | — | 100.0 | — | — | — |
| 12 „ | 8 | 5 | 12.5 | 40.0 | 87.5 | 60.0 |
| 13 „ | 33 | 5 | 66.7 | 80.0 | 33.3 | 20.0 |
| 14 „ | 44 | 5 | 68.2 | 100.0 | 31.8 | — |
| 15 „ | 21 | 3 | 52.4 | 100.0 | 47.6 | — |
| 1C „ | 1 | — | 100.0 | — | — | — |
| 207 | 80 | 58.9 | 61.2 | 41.1 | 38.8 | |
Age groups of children in above table
| 2- 5 years | 50 | 32 | 28.0 | 40.6 | 72.0 | 59.4 |
| 0-10 „ | 48 | 30 | 85.4 | 73.3 | 14.6 | 20.7 |
| 11-16 „ | 109 | 18 | 61.5 | 77.8 | 38.5 | 22.2 |
| 207 | 80 | 58.9 | 61.2 | 41.1 | 38.8 |
Of the total of 11G Dick positive cases, 90 (77.6 per cent.) proved to be negative
after the usual course of immunising injections. Of those remaining Dick positive,
and therefore not protected, 6 were found to have become immune after further
injections, yielding a total of 96 immunised. The remaining 20 children left school
before immunisation could be completed.
The following is a summary of the progress of immunisation during 1937 at the three residential schools (Shirley, Hutton and Ongar) and at Mayford approved school:—
| Uncompleted cases brought forward from 1936 | 62 |
| Tested for susceptibility | 863 |
| Found to be immune | 625 |
| Found to be susceptible | 238 |
| Completed full immunising course and gave negative reactions on re-test | 211 |
| Left school before course of injections had been completed | 39 |
| Outstanding on 31st December, 1937, to be completed in 1938 | 50 |
During the year, 8 children were removed to hospital from the above-named
schools suffering from scarlet fever. Six of these children had not been Dick-tested;
one (who had proved to be Dick positive) contracted scarlet fever 6 days later before
immunisation had been commenced; and one (who had been Dick negative in 1935)
contracted scarlet fever on the 22nd October, 1937—28 months after the Dick
negative result.
During the year 29 cases of vulvo-vaginitis were reported among the girls in the
residential establishments (excluding the remand home). Of the 29 cases, 2 only
were found to be positive for gonococcal infection: one from an approved
school, and one, in which no evidence of gonorrhoea was found either clinically or
pathologically, after admission to hospital.
Vulvovaginitis