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During 1949, out of 20 patients admitted to hospital for suspected
Diphtheria, none were confirmed as such. This very
favourable result was largely due to immunisation and to the fact
that over 60 per cent. of children under the age of five years,
and over 95 per cent. of children between five and fifteen years of
age have so far been protected in Walthamstow. This virtual
elimination of Diphtheria can only continue if the percentage of
young children protected can be kept up, or better, increased,
especially in regard to the under fives.
This has recently been emphasised by Report No. 272 issued
by the Medical Research Council, which states:— "It is of the
utmost importance for parents to realise that active immunisation
in the first year of life, and reinforcing doses of prophylactic in
later years, are just as necessary in the absence of diphtheria
epidemics as in their presence. Unless the proportion of the
immunised population is kept up to the 75 per cent, level, protection
against epidemic diphtheria cannot be reasonably assured.
VACCINATION
The number of persons vaccinated during 1949 was as
follows:—
Age at list Dec., 1949 Under 1 1 to 4 5 to 14 15 or over
i.e. born in years 1945 to 1935 to Before
1949 1948 1944 1935 Total
Number vaccinated 317 18 14 20 369
Number re-vaccinated 5 4 7 84 100
The number of persons vaccinated during recent periods was
as follows:—
1948 to July 4th, 1948 433
From July 5th, 1948 145
Total, 1948 578
1949 369