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5
Matters concerning the provision of private caravan sites were
also dealt with and the possibility of municipally. Controlled sites
for various types of caravan-dwellers was pursued.
In my report last year I referred to the diagnosis of a case of
smallpox in the London area at the end of 1961, with the consequent
anxiety and disturbance that arose when the infection also appeared
in other parts of the country.
Although no cases occurred in Enfield, much time, over many
weeks, was spent in dealing with contacts by vaccination and
surveillance. The Health Department staff concentrated its
efforts mainly on vaccinating persons likely to have to deal with
the infection, and also contacts of possible cases, in order to produce
a barrier of immunity around any potential new case.
Apart from the logical wisdom of this method over that of
indiscriminate mass vaccination, it is sometimes the only possible
approach when the resources of the Health Department are strained
and vaccine lymph may not be in plentiful supply. There was,
however, a great demand for vaccination from the public generally,
but it was not considered necessary nor desirable to arrange public
vaccination clinics. Nevertheless, over fifteen thousand persons
were vaccinated during the year, mainly by general medical practitioners
during the weeks of anxiety.
With regard to infectious disease generally, there were comparatively
few notifications during the year. The only infection
in which there was an increase over the previous year was Sonne
dysentery, which fluctuates from year to year, and seventy seven
cases, a comparatively small number, were notified.
There were no cases of diphtheria nor poliomyelitis, the last
case of diphtheria being in 1948, and poliomyelitis in 1958. In our
enthusiasm to encourage immunisation against poliomyelitis we
must not neglect immunisation against diphtheria lest we return to
the days when diphtheria was prevalent.
With regard to the Vital Statistics of the Borough, there was
no significant change in the Death Rate, and the Infant Mortality
Rate, which was slightly lower this year than last year, compares
favourably with the National figure.
The Birth Rate rose to its highest figure since the immediate
post-war years, and there was unfortunately one maternal death,
the first since 1959, making a total of two in the last five years.
In conclusion I would like to express my appreciation of the
service of the staff of the Health Department during the year.
William D. Hyde,
Medical Officer of Health.