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10
When contacts of infectious persons are excluded from work
on account of potential risk to others, a certificate is provided to
ensure the payment of benefits under the National Insurance Act.
Diphtheria.
For the first time since notification began there was no notified
case of diphtheria during the year in Ealing.
A graph is attached showing the dramatic fall in the incidence
of attacks and deaths since the immunisation campaign started
in 1941.
In the 10 years 1932-1941 there were 1,038 cases and 50 deaths
in Ealing.
This decline does illustrate that preventive techniques when
vigorously applied can lead to the almost complete disappearance
of a previously common and dangerous illness.
Had there been no immunisation campaign it is likely that
there would still be about 100 cases of diphtheria annually in our
Borough—costing roughly £10,000 pounds in hospital charges as
well as the loss of a number of lives—with aU the misery that
entails both to the patients and their families.
It is regrettable that as the danger of diphtheria becomes
more remote there is a tendency for parents to no longer insist on this
protection for their children—but it is certain that the disease
can and will return if we relax our guard.
About half the annual cases of diphtheria are now occurring
in a few industrial centres where there is an inadequate immunisation
rate.
During the year a total of 1,367 children received primary
immunis ation at the clinics and 554 were immunised by the General
Practitioners—a total of 1921. This is a substantial decline from
the figures of 1950—2,446 and 1951—2,270, and one which I view
seriously.
During the year a steady effort was maintained by the Infant
Welfare Clinics and at the school routine medical inspections to
bring home the necessity of regular immunisation and booster
doses.
A more satisfactory position exists with regard to the number
of booster doses of which 2,513 were given during the year (2,692 in
1951, 1,155 in 1950), 172 by the General Practitioners and the
remainder at the Clinics.
The combined alum free diphtheria/pertussis vaccine is now
being generally used for primary immunisation with very satisfactory
results. This vaccine can be used subcutaneously and
minimises the risk of untoward effects.