London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hendon 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hendon]
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4.
TABLE IV.
| Year | No. of Cases of Diphtheria notified | No. of Deaths from Diphtheria | Accumulated total of immunised children |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | 138 | 9 | 27 |
| 1936 | 86 | 2 | 130 |
| 1937 | 121 | 7 | 381 |
| 1938 | 195 | 4 | 725 |
| 1939 | 150 | 3 | 1124 |
| 1941 | 70 | 3 | 1729 |
| 1941 | 58 | 1 | 5868 |
| 1942 | 38 | 2 | 11068 |
| 1943 | 31 | 2 | 15506 |
| 1944 | 17 | - | 16970 |
| 1945 | 20 | 1 | 19555 |
of these the diagnosis of diphtheria was confirmed in only
11 cases. In the case of the death from this disease, the
child, aged 13/12 yrs., had not been immunised against
diphtheria.
A new factor in epidemiology has been introduced by the number of
contacts of the more serious forms of infectious diseases returning to
this country from abroad. The speed of fir travel makes this an everincreasing
anxiety as there is no time for the incubation period to
expire before the arrival of the contact in this country. A comprehensive
scheme for supervision has therefore been established. Notification of
contacts is received from the Sea and Air ports and the contacts are kept
under supervision until the termination of the incubation period.
Altogether 95 contacts of typhus fever were supervised and 43 contacts
of smallpox.