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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. They further endeavour to obtain the parents' consent to another single dose shortly before the child
reaches 5 years of age.
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.
There were 57 cases of Diphtheria in Willesden in 1945 and there were 2 deaths, one in an unimmunised
child of 2 years, and one in a child of 12 vears who had been immunised privately in Gloucestershire in 1940.
Enteric Fever.—No cases were notified in 1945.
Dysentery.—85 cases were notified as Dysentery in 1945.
Malaria.—4 cases were notified in 1915. 1 case was induced for therapeutic reasons and in 3 cases the
patients contracted the disease abroad.
Infectious Diseases of the Central Nervous System.—Poliomyelitis and Polio-encephalitis, Cerebrospinal
Fever and Encephalitis Lethargica.—20 cases of these diseases were notified in 1945, as against 16 in 1944,
20 in 1943, 3.) 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 fatilitv rate of 5.0 per cent. of notified cases. 16 cases were notified as Cerebro-spinal Fever. Of these
16 cases 12 proved to be Cerebro-spinal Fever and I was found in hospital to be suffering from Acidosis, 1 from
subarachroid haemorrhage, 1 from Encephalitis of unknown origin and in 1 case no definite diagnosis was established.
The ages of the 12 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 4 „ 15 „ 20 „ „ 2
„ 2 „ 3 „ „ 1 „ 20 „ 35 0
„ 3 „ 4 „ „ 0 „ 35 „ 45 „ „ 3
4 „ 5 0 „ 45 „ 65 „ 1
„ 5 „ 10 „ „ 0 65 years of age and over 1
The months in which the 12 cases occurred were as follows:—
January, 1945 1 May, 194.) 1 September, 1945 1
February, 1945 0 June, 1945 2 October, 1945 0
March, 1945 2 July, 4945 1 November, 1945 0
April, 1945 3 August, 1945 1 December, 1945 0
1 of these 12 cases which proved to be Cerebro-spinal Fever died. This patient was aged 71 years.
In addition, one further death was recorded as Cerebo-spinal Fever. The patient was an army pensioner
aged 17 years, who had cerebro-spinal meningitis in 1920-21.
Four cases of Poliomyelitis were notified, one aged 7 months, one aged 3 years, one aged 8 years, and one
aged 25 vears. The case aged 7 months was discharged from the hospital well. The other three cases were referred
for further out-patient treatment.
Pneumonia and Influenza.—339 cases of Pneumonia were notified in 1945, as compared with 283 in 1944
and 139 in 1943. Deaths from Broncho-Pneumonia, Lobar Pneumonia and Pneumonia (unspecified) numbered
114, as compared with 86 in 1914, 130 in 1943 and 87 in 1942, and deaths from Influenza 4, as compared with 9 in
1941. 30 in 1943 and 12 in 1942.
Whooping Cough.—221 cases were notified in 1945, but a total of 321 cases coming to their knowledge
were visited by Health Visitors, 217 of which occurred in children under 5 years of age. There were 3 deathsfrom
Whooping Cough in 1945. 2 of the children who died were under 1 year of age, and I was between I and 5
years of age.
Measles.—1,568 cases were notified in 1945, but a total of 2,275 cases were visited by the Health Visitors,
1,233 of which occurred in children under 5 years of age. There were 3 deaths from Measles in 1945. 2 of the
children who died were between 1 and 5 years of age and 1 was between 5 and 10 years of age.