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 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Leyton]
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121
B.C.G. VACCINATION DURING 1954-
(Report by Dr. Ethel Emslie)
Vaccination with B.C.G. for contacts with tuberculosis has continued to be provided at Dawlish Road Clinic during most of 1954, and below are set out details of the work done.
| Attendances in 1954 | 699 | No. vaccinated in 1954 | 105 |
| First attendances | 123 | No. not vaccinated but already Mantoux positive | 19 |
| No. of cases seen | 201 | ||
| No. vaccinated in 1953 first re-test | 14 | ||
| No. postponed by Dr. Swoboda | 19 | ||
| No. re-tested a year after vaccination | 40 | ||
| Excluded permanently by Dr. Swoboda | 3 | ||
| No. examined a year after vaccination not re-tested | 7 | ||
| Refused or failed appts. | 7 | ||
| Moved before vaccination | 1 |
Of the 19 children who had already experienced infection without
vaccination, one was only 3 months old, two were 2 years old, one 3 years old,
three were 4 years old and the others were past the most dangerous age.
Of these Mantoux positive cases four were in one family, and there were two
in each of two other families.
All cases were Mantoux tested after vaccination, and were found to be
converted to Mantoux positive, except two who left the Borough before
being re-tested. There were no serious complications. One child vaccinated
in 1953 had a gland under the arm (the size of a hazel nut) which softened.
Although this occurred a year and a half after vaccination, I regarded it as
the result of vaccination because there was nothing else to account for it,
and it was on the same side as the vaccination. Fluid from the gland was
found on bacteriological examination to be sterile, and a special culture
remained sterile; nevertheless I have no doubt that B.C.G. was responsible.
As the gland seemed to be filling up again I sent the child to hospital to
see whether the surgeon would advise excision, but he preferred to leave it
alone, and I am glad to say it has now subsided and apparently healed without
any treatment. The child's general condition remains good.
Apart from this case 16 children had an enlarged gland which varied
from just palpable (or the size of a pinhead) in five cases, to the size of a
split pea in five cases, and the size of a bean in six cases. None of these
caused any trouble, and the children themselves were probably unaware of
them.
It is interesting that the percentage of cases with palpable glands
(14 per cent.) is almost the same as last year (15 per cent.).
The number of children dealt with is less than last year, and in fact
our B.C.G. Clinic at Dawlish Road had ceased to function altogether by the
end of the year as the new Chest Physician decided to take over the work
himself at the Chest Clinic. Tuberculosis Nurses and Health Visitors were
instructed to send their contacts to him, and, as I was largely dependent on
information from the Chest Clinic staff for case finding, I preferred not to