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The constitution of the Home Safety Committee, the third Committee
mentioned in the Health and Social Services Section as a meeting
point between statutory and voluntary organisations which are
interested in the same subject, enumerates yet more voluntary organisations
in the borough. The inclusion of members representing Fire,
Electricity and Gas Services, Old Peoples Welfare, Junior Accident
Prevention Council, and Pharmaceutical Society on the Committee
itself, speaks for the many preventable causes of home accidents of
which one cause, namely burns, is outstanding.
Infectious Diseases Control
For the first time a Table has been included on similar lines to
those of former years for Smallpox vaccination and Diphtheria immunisation
to show the state of Poliomyelitis vaccination in the borough.
The number of poliomyelitis immunisations completed in a year
is nearly three times the annual average for diphtheria immunisation
over a period of 15 years, or more than one-fifth of all immunisations
against diphtheria over the same period.
A new Table shows more comprehensively, the number of diphtheria
immunisations over the last five years.
The number of vaccinations against Smallpox in the Welfare
Clinics was slightly increased; while at the Chest Clinic, 59 contacts
of Tuberculosis were successfully treated with B.C.G. vaccine.
During the year, another vaccination scheme was successfully
carried out, but figures are not yet available for the numbers vaccinated
against influenza. An investigation into the incidence of poliomyelitis
over 10 years has been included at the end of this report.
In conclusion, I wish to thank Dr. Elliott, Dr. Lyon and other
members of their County Staff for the helpful advice and co-operation
which I have received in this, as in previous years.
The Inspectors and Clerical Staff of the Health Department
have worked as a team ; and difficulties caused by changes in the
staff have been successfully overcome.
I have received great support from my Chairman and members of
the Health Committee and 1 thank them for their patience and understanding
of the problems successfully tackled during the past year.
L. R. L. EDWARDS,
Medical Officer of Health.
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