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 1960
[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.
These notifications are uncorrected for diagnosis, but form the best available index of
the trend of infectious disease in the school community; they 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 necessary.
The numbers of cases of infectious diseases reported during 1960 and the preceding years are given below:
| 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken.pox | 8,424 | 4,496 | 8,901 | 5,399 | 8,357 |
| Dysentery, diarrhœa or enteritis | 1,458 | 414 | 1,170 | 1,148 | 1,557 |
| German measles | 1,775 | 2,081 | 2,549 | 1,325 | 631 |
| Impetigo | 354 | 301 | 265 | 192 | 194 |
| Influenza | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 229 |
| Jaundice | 132 | 75 | 11 | 19 | 253 |
| Measles | 2,903 | 13,039 | 5,045 | 9,326 | 2,544 |
| Mumps | 6,059 | 5,509 | 2,778 | 3,788 | 8,783 |
| Ophthalmia and conjunctivitis | 280 | 291 | 319 | 264 | 299 |
| Ringworm (scalp) | 5 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 8 |
| Ringworm (body) | 44 | 55 | 38 | 46 | 51 |
| Scabies | 53 | 61 | 61 | 57 | 76 |
| Scarlet fever | 1,020 | 1,037 | 1,251 | 1,264 | 721 |
| Sore throat and tonsilitis | 897 | 864 | 994 | 1,299 | 905 |
| Whooping cough | 1,857 | 1,372 | 485 | 508 | 1,454 |
| Age group | Number of pupils inspected | % vaccinated against smallpox | % immunised against diphtheria | % immunised against whooping cough | % vaccinated against poliomyelitis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or less | 7,674 | 58.8 | 84.3 | 78.1 | 77.1 |
| 5 | 27,435 | 56.6 | 82.1 | 72.6 | 73.5 |
| 6 | 7,511 | 501 | 74.1 | 611 | 63.6 |
| 7 | 9,744 | 511 | 85.2 | 64.9 | 68.5 |
| 8 | 19,322 | 51.8 | 85.9 | 62.8 | 68.7 |
| 9 | 3,227 | 47.6 | 75.1 | 50.3 | 59.5 |
| 10 | 1,897 | 48.5 | 69.2 | 421 | 50.6 |
| 11 | 10,549 | 48.4 | 86.9 | 48.5 | 71.8 |
| 12 | 19,634 | 44.3 | 87.8 | 46.2 | 67.6 |
| 13 | 4,884 | 56.0 | 83.5 | 42.1 | 68.3 |
| 14 | 9,418 | 56.9 | 84.8 | 34.4 | 75.0 |
| 15 and over | 29,495 | 58.2 | 86.5 | 29.8 | 75.3 |