London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Finchley 1941

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finchley]

This page requires JavaScript

(4)
INFECTIOUS DISEASBS.

The following table shows the numbers of notifications of the principal infectious diseases received during 1940 and 1941:-

19401941
Diphtheria4238
Scarlet Fever5851
Enteric Fever06
Cerebro-spinal Fever98
Pneumonia3351
Measles51647
Whooping Cough33376

It will be seen that measles and whooping cough were
prevalent in 1941. Measles fortunately was mild in character
and did not cause any deaths but three children, all under
four years of age, died from whooping cough. The six cases
of enteric fever were all Paratyphoid B. and none was fatal.
The incidence of scarlet fever was again low and there were
no deaths. Diphtheria was less prevalent than in 1940 and
there was one death. When diphtheria was more common than
it is now, it was looked upon as a children's disease - at
least 75% of the cases being under fifteen years of age
but, owing to the fact that a large proportion of the children
have been immunized against the disease, children under fifteen
now furnish no more than 50% of the cases.
In 1941 there was a considerable increase in the number
of children immunized. Eleven hundred and forty seven
completed their injections and 231 had commenced. Eleven
hundred and forty eight children were Schick tested and 1,108
were found to be adequately protected. Between sixty and
seventy per cent of the children under 15 years of age have
now been immunized. A number of children who were treated
in 1935 and 1936 have been re-tested and it has been found
that approximately 25% have lost their immunity and have been