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 1957

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

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place in mortality from measles and whooping cough. The comparison with measles
and whooping cough, which forms the latter part of this argument, is not a valid one.
The falling mortality in both cases is the result of the increasing mildness of diseases
which remain as prevalent as ever, whereas the reduction in mortality from diphtheria
is the result of a great reduction in prevalence of a disease which has undergone no
reduction in clinical severity. The argument that diphtheria immunisation has not
affected the long term trend will not stand examination.
Figure i—ENGLAND & WALES—DIPHTHERIA DEATHS 1931-1948
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