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
Willesden 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES Infectious Diseases—Cases Notified and Confirmed
| Cases confirmed (notified in brackets) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | |
| Diphtheria | 8 (33) | 1 (15) | 1 (12) |
| Scarlet fever | 340 (325) | 306 (317) | 204 (211) |
| Pneumonia | 161 (175) | 150 (164) | 161 (172) |
| Whooping cough | 205 (212) | 648 (650) | 543 (550) |
| Erysipelas | 29 (35) | 26 (29) | 30 (31) |
| Measles | 985 (990) | 2255 (2280) | 1927 (1937) |
Other Infectious Diseases Notified During 1951
| Disease | Cases confirmed (number notified in brackets) |
|---|---|
| Typhoid fever | - (2) |
| Dysentery | 276 (302) |
| Malaria | 1 (1) |
| Poliomyelitis and polio-encephalitis | - (5) |
| Cerebro-spinal fever | 6 (7) |
| Encephalitis lethargica |
In the last two years there has only been one case of diphtheria confirmed in each year. This success
is largely due to diphtheria immunisation which became widespread in the borough at the beginning of the
war. The fact that the number of cases of diphtheria has been reduced from 415 in 1938 to 1 in 1951 should
not lead to an attitude of complacency. An outbreak of diphtheria in a child population unprotected by
diphtheria immunisation might be quite serious, as was demonstrated in the outbreak in a school in 1948.
Admittedly diphtheria immunisation is not the only answer and a study of figures on a world scale has
revealed that there are other factors concerned, i.e. improved standards of living. Nevertheless, we cannot
relv entirely on the operation of these other factors only, and we cannot therefore take the risk of leaving
many children unimmunised.
Diphtheria immunisation is generally brought to the notice of parents and school children in Willesden
by doctors and health visitors. A special campaign was, however, organised for the four weeks from the
14th May, 1951, to 9th June, 1951. Advertisements were issued in the local press; posters were exhibited
through out the district; film slides, exhibition stands and posters were on view at local cinemas; films were
shown at schools; and special talks were given by clinic doctors and health visitors at schools, health clinics
and to parents' clubs at day nurseries. The medical practitioners were informed of the health publicity and
helped the campaign a great deal. The table shows the marked increase in the number of cases immunised
both by the assistant medical officers of health in the local authority clinics and by medical practitioners in
their surgeries. This welcome increase is a reflection of the success of the campaign and it is hoped that
the numbers immunised will continue to remain high.
Diphtheria Immunisation Comparison of completed cases and boosters 1950 and 1951 for the 5 months May-September.
| Health clinics | Medical practitioners | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completed cases | Boosters | Completed cases | Boosters | ||
| 1950 | 483 | 111 | 242 | 19 | 855 |
| 1951 | 998 | 2872 | 375 | 332 | 4577 |
| Percentage 1951 compared with 1950 | 206.6 | 2587.3 | 154.9 | 1747.3 | 535.3 |
Measles
1937 cases were notified in 1951 (1927 confirmed), but a total of 2060 cases (1211 were children
under 5 years of age) came to the notice of the health visitors.