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and 3 in West Wickham. There were only 5 cases among children
attending the elementary schools in the Borough. No case occurred
in a person who had been rendered immune by protective inoculation.
The age incidence of the cases was:—
0—5 5—15 Over 15 Total
Original Beckenham1 4 3 8
West Wickham 0 2 1 3
DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION.
During 1937, consents were received in respect of 637 children,
and of these 102 were under school age. Whilst a reasonable number
of school children continue to be protected, the percentage of children
under school age who are brought for protection is extremely lowIt
must be remembered that we do not yet know the percentage of
protection necessary to prevent extensive outbreaks of the disease.
It is true that the incidence of Diphtheria has been low in the
Borough for the last nine years, but we are not yet in a position to
assert that this continued low incidence has been brought about
by the protective work which has been done. Should the disease
appear again in a more widespread outbreak, the comparatively
small degree of protection at present existing among the pre-school
children would be reason for considerable anxiety.
I indicated in my Annual Report for 1936 that the then existing
degree of protection in the West Wickham area would be quite
ineffective in limiting any outbreak which might occur, and which
recent epidemiological experience suggested might be expected.
During 1937, there has been a good response to the offer of protective
treatment, and the percentage of protected children in the West
Wickham schools at the end of the year was much more satisfactory.
So far as the Infants' Departments were concerned, the percentage
protected had risen from 30 to 50.
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