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The Council first made arrangements for immunising Willesden children against diphtheria in May, 1927.
Immunisation was carried out at the Kilburn Health Centre and the Municipal Hospital. More recently, when the
number of applicants has been large enough, immunisation sessions have been arranged in the schools. Since
November, 1942, sessions have also been held regularly at each of the Council's Health Centres.
Pamphlets on diphtheria prevention and copies of the broadcast of the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry
of Health have been distributed in considerable quantities and notices and articles have been put in the Press. The
most effective method, however, of ensuring the immunisation of the child population is the following :—
When the Health Visitors visit children aged 9 months or over under the Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme
they draw the attention of mothers to the facilities existing for immunisation against diphtheria in order that they may
think the matter over and have their children immunised at about 1 year of age if they so desire. The Health
Visitors have this question of diphtheria immunisation in mind at each subsequent visit until the child has been
immunised.
Leaflets concerning diphtheria prevention with form on the back for parents' signature agreeing to have their
children immunised have been sent to head teachers for distribution to their scholars. A high percentage of these
forms are returned, duly signed, to the teachers. When immunisation sessions are held at the schools the mothers
frequently take the opportunity of bringing any younger children not yet. immunised and getting all their family
dealt with at once.
It is noteworthy that there were only 17 cases of Diphtheria in Willesden in 1944 and there were no deaths.
Enteric Fever.—1 case was notified in 1944. This was admitted to the Municipal Hospital and diagnosed and
notified again as Cerebro-spinal Fever. The patient recovered.
Dysentery.—22 cases were notified as Dysentery in 1944.
Malaria.—2 cases were notified in 1944. 1 case occurred in a man of 35 years and 1 in a man of 37 years.
Both patients originally contracted the disease in Sicily in 1943.
Infectious Diseases of the Central Nervous System.—Poliomyelitis and Polio-encephalitis, Cerebrospinal
Fever and Encephalitis Lethargica.—16 cases of these diseases were notified in 1944, as against 20 in 1943,
35 in 1942, 29 in 1941, 38 in 1940,18 in 1939, 24 in 1938, 22 in 1937 and 14 in 1936. 1 proved fatal, giving a fatality
rate of 6'25 per cent, of notified cases. 13 cases were notified as Cerebro-spinal Fever. Of these 13 cases 12 proved
to be Cerebro-spinal Fever and 1 was found in hospital to be suffering from Erysipelas. In addition, 1 case notified
as Poliomyelitis was subsequently diagnosed as Cerebro-spinal Fever.
The ages of the 13 cases which proved to be Cerebro-spinal Fever were as follows :—
Under 1 year of age 0 Between 10 and 15 years of age 0
Between 1 and 2 years of age 2 „ 15 ,, 20 ,, „ 1
„ 2 „ 3 „ „ 2 „ 20 „ 35 „ „ 1
. . . .
,, 3 ,, 4 ,, ,, 0 ,, 3d ,, 45 ,, ,, 3
„ 4 „ 5 „ ,, 3 ,, 45 ,, 65 ,, ,, 1
,, 5 ,, 10 ,, „ 0 65 years of age and over 0
The months in which the 13 cases occurred were as follows :—
January, 1944 4 May, 1944 1 September, 1944 0
February, 1944 1 June, 1944 0 October, 1944 0
March, 1944 3 July, 1944 1 November, 1944 0
April, 1944 1 August, 1944 0 December, 1944 2
1 of these 13 cases which proved to be Cerebro-spinal Fever died. This patient was aged 1 year 10 months.
Three cases of Poliomyelitis were notified, two aged 2 years and one aged 25 years. The cases aged 2 years
were diagnosed in hospital, 1 as Cerebro-spinal Fever and 1 as Abscess in Axilla. Both recovered. The case of
Poliomyelitis, aged 25 years, was discharged from hospital and referred for further treatment at an orthopaedic
hospital for Paralysis of left leg.
Pneumonia and Influenza.—283 cases of Pneumonia were notified in 1944, as compared with 439 in 1943.
Deaths from Broncho-Pneumonia, Lobar Pneumonia and Pneumonia (unspecified) numbered 86, as compared with
130 in 1943 and 87 in 1942, and deaths from Influenza 9, as compared with 30 in 1943 and 12 in 1942.
Whooping Cough.—411 cases were notified in 1944, but a total of 709 cases coming to their knowledge
were visited by the Health Visitors, 428 of which occurred in children under 5 years of age. There were 4 deaths
from Whooping Cough in 1944. 1 of the children who died was under 1 year of age, 2 were between 1 and 5 years
of age and 1 was between 5 and 10 years of age.
Measles.—250 cases were notified in 1944, but a total of 897 cases were visited by the Health Visitors, 205
of which occurred in children under 5 years of age. There was no death from Measles in 1944.
Tuberculosis.—The following table shows the number of cases of Tuberculosis on the register at the end
of each year 1938-1944