View report page

NOTIFICATIONS OTHER THAN TUBERCULOSIS
POLIOMYELITIS
There was an increase in the number of cases of Poliomyelitis notified during
the year, 32 cases occurring compared with 13 in 1956.
Of the 32 cases, 24 were paralytic and 8 non-paralytic. Three of the cases were
fatal and a fourth notified in November 1956 died in February, 1957. The cases, with
the exception of 3, occurred in the second half of the year and the monthly distribution
was as follows:-
January 2
February -
March -
April -
May 1
June -
July 2
August 12
September 6
October 6
November 2
December 1
Twenty of the cases occurred in children up to the age of 14 years, the remaining
12 being adults.
The cases were spread throughout the Borough and the ward distribution was as
follows: -
Mill Hill 3
Burnt Oak 2
West Hendon 3
Central 4
Park 2
Golders Green 6
Garden Suburb 3
Childs Hill 5
Edgware 4
In the U.S.A. , where large-scale immunisation against Poliomyelitis has been
carried out, the number of paralytic cases dropped in 1957 to 4,153 from an average
figure of 22,000 for the previous five years.
It is to be hoped that immunisation against this crippling disease will proceed
apace and bring the same benefit here as soon as possible.
25