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
Leyton 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Leyton]
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113
Protection against Whooping Cough.
In recent Annual Reports I have submitted information
regarding the controlled investigation into the efficacy of whooping
cough vaccines, undertaken in collaboration with the Medical
Research Council. The full results of the investigation will not be
available for some time, but those available so far show that the
incidence and severity of whooping cough in the protected groups
have been appreciably less than in the control groups.
Arrangements for public whooping cough immunisation in the area were put into operation on 10th September, 1951, and the following table gives the available information regarding the number and age groups of the children who were immunised during 1952.
| Under 1 year | years | 5—14 years | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of children who completed the course of immunisation during the year | 297 | 463 | 149 | 909 |
The protection is conferred by three injections of whooping
cough vaccine at intervals of four weeks. Because the period of
highest mortality from whooping cough is during the first six
months of life it is recommended that immunisation should be begun
as early as possible, even at as young an age as two months.