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
City of London 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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15
VACCINATION.
Of the children born in 1908, 168 had been successfully vaccinated by
the end of the year, 27 had died before the age for vaccination, and 2 were
insusceptible. Vaccination was postponed by medical certificate in 11 cases,
36 had removed into other districts, and 24 vaccinations were pending at the
end of the year. There were 13 cases of conscientious objection.
The Public Vaccinators performed 1,393 re.vaccinations during the year.
Vaccination Statistics in the City or London.
| Year. | Number of Births. | Successfully Vaccinated. | Insusceptible. | Had Small.pox. | Died before Vaccination. | Vaccination Postponed. | Cases pending or removed at the end of the year. | Conscientious Objections. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 339 | 67.9 | .29 | Nil. | 9.7 | 4.4 | 17.7 | 0.0 |
| 1904 | 353 | 64.8 | .28 | ,, | 7.9 | 4.0 | 21.5 | 1.4 |
| 1905 | 302 | 63.6 | Nil. | ,, | 8.9 | 3.6 | 22.5 | 1.3 |
| 1906 | 341 | 62.2 | 2.0 | ,, | 7.3 | 5.2 | 22.9 | 1.7 |
| 1907 | 269 | 62.4 | 1.11 | ,, | 11.5 | 4.8 | 17.0 | 2.6 |
| Average previous 5 years | 321 | 641 | .73 | Nil. | 91 | 4.4 | 20.3 | 1.4 |
| 1908 | 281 | 59.8 | .71 | Nil. | 9.6 | 3.9 | 21.3 | 4.6 |
VACCINATION ACT, 1907.
It will be seen that the number of conscientious objectors has largely
increased. This is doubtless due to the Vaccination Act of 1907, which is
a direct encouragement to persons not to protect their children from the risk
attending an attack of small.pox.
MORTALITY.
During the year under review, 899 deaths were registered in the District,
including *712 persons dying in the City, but not belonging thereto. See
Table, p. 20, for details.
Deducting the latter 187 deaths remain, to which must be added .56 persons
who died at City Institutions in outside districts, where they were registered.
The mortality, therefore, from which the City death rate is calculated is 243.
The death rate for 1908 was 12.6 per 1,000 per annum of the population
(the previous year being 12.7), whilst that for the whole of the Metropolis
was 13.8.
* These deaths occurred in St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and the Union Depôt, Thavies Inn.