London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Woolwich 1901

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]

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22
cases; while among the 38 unvaccinated the deaths were 15
and the death-rate 395, i.e., for equal numbers attacked, 3
unvaccinated persons died to every vaccinated person.
8. Not a single one of the fatal cases had been vaccinated
within 20 years. Of the 15 deaths in the unvaccinated 7
were under 20 years of age.

9. The following table shows the susceptibility to infection of vaccinated and unvaccinated contacts: —

Numbers Exposed.Number Attacked.Rate per 1,000
Protected1,17110.9
Partially protected40443106.4
Unprotected82250.0

Protected means vaccinated within 10 years before exposure,
or within three days after exposure.
Partially protected means persons vaccinated more than ten
years before exposure, most of whom refused re-vaccination.
Unprotected means never successfully vaccinated, or vaccinated
more than three days after exposure.
10. No vaccinated child under seven years of age was
attacked.
11. There were only four cases who had been twice
vaccinated before infection, and one who had been thrice
vaccinated.
12. There is probably more ample proof of the fact that
vaccination protects against Small-pox, than of any other
similar fact in the realm of curative and preventive medicine.
The exceptions to the law of protection present no greater
difficulty than the exceptions to the laws of gravitation.