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Concern was expressed that in four weeks 87 notifications of measles were received and
investigations revealed that none of these patients had been vaccinated. General Practitioners
and nursing staff were therefore urged to encourage the public to take advantage of
vaccination.
FOOD POISONING
Sporadic cases of food poisoning were notified from time to time in the summer of 1971
with a total notification of 39 which is the lowest in the last five years. An analysis of cases
notified is given below:
FOOD POISONING CASES 1971
Total number of cases not confirmed (cause not known) 33
Total number of cases of Salmonella Typhimurium 5
Total number of cases of Salmonella Newport 1
T otal 39
POLIOMYELITIS
One case of Poliomyelitis was notified but on investigation it was found to be a case of
Type 1 Virus naturally occurring strain of Polio Virus which unfortunately ended in fatality
because of Bulbar Paralysis in an unvaccinated child.
All the contacts, adults and children, were vaccinated with Sabine Vaccine.
DYSENTERY
27 cases of Dysentery were notified to this Department. None of them was fatal and nearly
all of them were in children below five years of age. Only 13 of these cases were confirmed.
It is noticeable that Shigella Sonnei notification is lower in Bexley than in many other
boroughs in England and Wales, but there is a tendency for dysentery to decrease.
MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION
9 cases of Meningococcal Infection were notified from the hospitals in the area. All of
them recovered.
WHOOPING COUGH
The notification in the last five years does not show any significant trend. Whooping Cough
remains an anomaly when one looks at the fact that Diphtheria has been nearly completely
wiped out through triple immunisation in children. Considerable doubt must be thrown on the
efficacy of whooping cough vaccine as administered at present.
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