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 1956

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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Infectious diseases in schools
When a pupil is absent from school, and the cause is either known or suspected to be due
to infectious disease, the head of the school notifies the divisional medical officer and
the Borough Medical Officer of Health. The numbers of cases of infectious diseases thus
reported during 1956 and the preceding years are given below :

Table: Cases of infectious illness involving exclusion or absence reported from schools in1956and preceding years

Cases of infectious illness involving exclusion or absence reported from schools in1956and preceding years

YearChicken-poxDiphtheriaGerman measlesImpetigoMeaslesMumpsOphthalmia and ConjunctivitisPoliomyelitisRingwormScabiesScarlet feverWhooping cough
193811,0183,5762,3831,01831,8524,805342—2782,7183,9884,067
195116,756262,19321215,0456,1271,68529138731,8113,338
195214,2813116,11526613,1278,3911,24570138933,0422,028
19537,143176861958,2822,61452681127641,7033,478
195413,89175674022,43913,05145228110811,2921,587
19558,366763952216,7241,98227120680729841,614
19568,42441,7753542,9036,0592806649531,0201,857

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These figures are uncorrected for diagnosis, but they form the best available index of
the trend of infectious disease in the child community and are the only figures available
in respect of diseases which are not statutorily notifiable.
When the number of cases of infectious disease reported from a particular school
indicates the possibility of an outbreak, special visits are made by a school health visitor
and, if necessary, by a school doctor, in order to investigate the situation and take
whatever control action is considered desirable.
The system of notification by the Head and careful observation of the pupils in the
school has been the practice for many years and is an important contribution towards
the control of the spread of infectious disease.
H
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