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BIRTHDAY LITTERS.- Letters were sent to the parents of all
infants following their first, birthday and stressing the need for
protection against diphtheria. 1,235 letters were issued and
045 infants were brought and protected. 183 infants had left the
district.
IMMUNISATION BY GENERAL PRACTITIONERS.- Diphtheria prophylactic
is available to general practitioners. During 1943 80 c.c's. of
alum precipitated toxoid were issued; this quantity is sufficient
to protect 80 children.
In February 1944 a special report was submitted to your Committee
reviewing the incidence of Diphtheria in Walthamstow between
1890 and 1943.
The report showed that between 1890 and 1919 the number of cases
of Diphtheria varied between 130 and 516 averaging 242 each year,
and the number of deaths between 12 and 78, averaging 31 yearly.
Protection against Diphtheria was commenced in 1932, and in the
twelve years before protection the average number of cases per year
was 309 and the number of deaths 12. In the 12 years since
Immunisation the average number of cases each year has been 125
and the number of deaths only 3. This favourable result largely
follows from over 15,000 persons in Walthamstow having now been
protected against Diphtheria, the large majority being under 20
years of age. At the end of 1943 nearly half the children under
5 years of age were protected and just over three-quarters of the
children between 5 and 15 years.
The urgent need now, is to protect babies as soon as possible
after they reach the age of one year, and the necessary facilities
are available either from the family Doctor, at any of the Welfare
Centres, or at the special Clinic at the Town Hall at 2 p.m.
on Tuesdays.
MUNICIPAL LABORATORY.