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6
Unfortunately many of these vaccines have had discouraging results
when tried out on susceptible children. It would be unfortunate
if parents were denied a reliable means of protection against such
a serious infection as whooping cough; but it would also be unfortunate
if the Local Health Authority's medical services were
brought into disrepute by the administration of a form of immunisation
whose value is still uncertain. Under the circumstances
attention is drawn to the report on pages 83 to 86 outlining the
special controlled investigation into the efficacy of whooping cough
vaccines which is being carried out in Leyton by the Local Health
Authority in collaboration with the Medical Research Council.
Scarlet fever incidence was relatively low, and it remained of
the mild type to which we have become accustomed during the
last decade.
One of the most encouraging features in the epidemiologic
field was the position with regard to diphtheria. During 1948 only
five cases were notified, and there was not a death from diphtheria
during the year. This is a welcome and encouraging turn in the tide
of a disease which was at one time one of the chief causes of death
and lifelong disability. In the year 1935 Leyton Corporation
inaugurated a municipal clinic for the immunisation of children
against diphtheria, and the work has gone on steadily ever since.
The significance of the effect of such mass protection may be
appreciated by comparing the following figures of diphtheria
incidence and mortality in Leyton in 1948 with those of the last
year before municipal facilities for immunisation were available
in the Borough.
Year.
Notified Cases.
Deaths.
Case Fatality.
1934
1948
257
5
11
Nil
4.28 per cent.
Nil
No case of smallpox occurred in the area. Under the provisions
of the National Health Service Act, 1946 the Vaccination Acts were
repealed; and on 5th July, 1948 vaccination ceased to be compulsory.
Routine medical inspections in schools show that only
35.7 per cent. of Leyton school children are now protected against
smallpox by vaccination.
From the statistical table on page 30 it will be seen that
during 1938 there was a significant increase in the incidence of
and mortality from tuberculosis, both pulmonary and nonpulmonary.
To what extent this increase in tuberculosis may be