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103
It is with a great deal of pleasure that I am able to report
that, at the instigation of the Education Committee, the Council
have adopted the principle of protective immunization against
Diphtheria, that the residents of East Ham have been offered this
form of treatment and that the work was commenced in September,
1929. The matter is fully discussed, and the statistics
included, in my report as Medical Officer of Health. So far the
response has exceeded our expectations and, should the present
number of applicants be maintained, there is no doubt that a
considerable reduction in the incidence of Diphtheria may be
anticipated.
In regard to Small-pox there were no actual cases but twelve
contact cases in children attending schools in the Borough. Eight
schools were involved and, in addition to the usual precautions, it
was thought desirable to circularise the parents of all the children
attending these Schools and to advise them that, whilst everything
possible had been done by the Local Authority to prevent the
spread of infection, the only real safeguard was vaccination and revaccination.
The result of this action is encouraging and a large
number of children have been vaccinated.