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
Walthamstow 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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The following table shows the position:—
| Year | Medical Research Council Scheme | Local Authority Scheme | Total | Notifications of Whooping Cough | Deaths from Whooping Cough |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | - | 58 | 58 | 223 | - |
| 8 | - | 99 | 99 | 565 | 6 |
| 9 | 738 | 526 | 1,264 | 226 | 1 |
| 1950 | 242 | 285* | 595 | 501 | — |
| 980 | 968 | 2,016 | 1,515 |
* In addition, 68 children were given "combined" diphtheria/whooping
cough immunisation by general practitioners, but the prophylactic was not
supplied by the Local Health Authority.
It is understood that the trials carried out for the Medical
Research Council will be the subject of a report later this year.
With regard to the cases done under the Local Authority Scheme, the ages at the date of the last injection were as follows:—
| Year | Under 1 year | 1—2 years | 2—3 years | 3—4 years | 4—5 years | 5 + years | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947/8 | 8 | 42 | 52 | 35 | 20 | - | 157 |
| 9 | 86 | 129 | 134 | 92 | 67 | 18 | 526 |
| 50 | 176 | 42 | 26 | 28 | 12 | 1 | 285 |
| Totals | 270 | 213 | 212 | 155 | 99 | 19 | 968 |
The following statement has been made by the Medical
Officer of Health of the City of Manchester (Dr. C. Metcalfe
Brown):—
"We believe that a large number of cases so immunised
will be spared altogether the suffering and danger of whooping
cough. In certain other cases, there may be a mild attack, but
in any case it is quite certain that the vaccines will help in
reducing the severity of the disease."
VACCINATION
The percentage of infants under one year vaccinated during
1950 to the total of births registered in that year was 23.0.
The number of vaccinations performed during recent years
has been as follows :—
1st January, 1948 to 4th July, 1948 433
5th July, 1948 to 31st December, 1948 145
Total 1948 578
1949 369
1950 547