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It is a fact recognised by anyone whose experience of
infectious disease extends over a sufficiently long period that
changes in incidence and severity take place from time to
time and may continue for extensive periods. Nevertheless,
the change which has taken place in this disease has coincided
with the implementation of the scheme for immunisation. The
change is so dramatic that it is a reasonable assumption that
in this instance we are dealing with cause and effect. Whilst
the duty of providing immunisation now rests with the
Middlesex County Council under the provisions of Section
26 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, which came into
force on the 5th July, 1948, it had previously been the duty of
the Borough Council who inaugurated the Scheme and up to
the date of transfer had been responsible for immunising
approximately 25,000 children. The accumulated totals up to
date are also shown on Table VI.
Poliomyelitis and Polioencephalitis:
The increased incidence of this group of diseases which
has been evident for a number of years was continued though
on a slightly lesser scale, altogether 21 cases were notified as
compared with '32 in the previous year.
The following table gives particulars of the cases which
were notified from which will be seen that the majority of
cases occurred in the months from June to September inclusive,
that 5 cases were of persons over the age of 21 years
and only 4 eases occurred in children up to the age of 5 years.
It will also be noticed that the distribution of the cases
was spread throughout the Borough generally with the highest
incidence in Park and Burnt Oak Wards, but on investigation
in only one instance was there a direct contact with a
known case of this disease.
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