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 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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IMMUNISATION AGAINST WHOOPING COUGH
The numbers and age groups of children immunised during the year are shown in the following table:—
| Age at date of Final Injection | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 6 mths. | 6—12 months | 1 year | 2 years | 5 years | 5-14 years | Total | |
| Clinics, Nurseries and Welfare Centres | 23 | 301 | 119 | 51 | - | 8 | 502 |
| General Practitioners | 15 | 136 | 79 | 16 | — | 6 | 252 |
| Total | 38 | 437 | 198 | 67 | - | 14 | 754 |
The percentage of children under the age of one year
immunised was 32.7.
Immunisations done by General Practitioners were with
combined Diphtheria/Whooping Cough prophylactic. The total
number of children immunised against Whooping Cough up to
the end of 1953 was 3,784.
Twenty'two cases of whooping cough notified during the year
gave a history of previous immunisation. All these cases were
followed up, and an assessment of severity at the conclusion of each
case on the criteria laid down by the Medical Research Council
showed twelve to have had no clinically recognizable stage A or B,
eight to have suffered from a mild attack, with less than ten
paroxysms in twentyfour hours, and two to have had severe
attacks. On the whole, this is considered a reasonably satisfactory
assurance of the value of whooping cough immunisation.
The Medical Research Council's trials ended in June, 1951,
and the final report in regard to the trials is awaited. The use of
" Glaxo " suspended vaccine was continued.
AMBULANCE FACILITIES
(Section 27)
The Ambulance Service is administered centrally from
Chelmsford via the Control Centre at Ilford, and (as far as information
is available), it appears to be adequate for the needs of the
Borough.
The Local Service has continued from the Ambulance Depot,
which is situated at the Borough Council's Fulbourne Road Depot.