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
Southall 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]
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Smallpox (Variola)
No cases of smallpox occurred in the Borough during the year and no contacts of smallpox
were notified from the Port or Airport Authorities. There was, however, a small outbreak
of smallpox within the County of Middlesex, and in July a contact at second-hand of
one of the nurses at a Hospital where smallpox cases had been admitted, was visited. He
was kept under supervision but did not contract the illness. In July a child with severe
chickenpox was suspected by the general practitioner and was visited and specimens taken
for bacteriological investigation. These turned out to be negative for smallpox.
Vaccination against Smallpox
The total figures for vaccination improved in 1957, but the percentage of children receiving vaccination during their first year of life dropped from 45-9 in 1956 to 45 in 1957. Re-vaccinations rose in number, but although smallpox occurred within 10 miles of Southall, there was no rush for vaccination as had been expected.
| Age Groups | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | 1-2 years | 2-4 years | 5-14 years | 15 years and over | Total | |
| Primary Vaccination | 364 | 28 | 35 | 48 | 67 | 542 |
| Re-vaccination | 5 | 11 | 154 | 170 | ||
| 1956 | ||||||
| Age Groups | ||||||
| Under 1 year | 1-2 years | 2-4 years | 5-14 years | 15 years and over | Total | |
| Primary Vaccination | 327 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 53 | 421 |
| Re-vaccination | 5 | 8 | 81 | 94 | ||
Scarlet Fever (Scarlatina)
The number of notifications received during the year was 34 as compared with 21 for
the previous year. The infection appeared to be of a mild nature, only 4 cases were admitted
to hospital for isolation and treatment, while 30 were nursed at home. There was one
secondary case, i.e., a second case occurring within three weeks following the notification
of a previous case in the same household.
Diphtheria
No cases of diphtheria were notified to the Department.
The following information supplied by the Area Medical Officer shows the number of children immunised against diphtheria during the year.
| Number of Children who completed a full course of Primary Immunisation in Southall during the year | Number of Children who were given Secondary or Reinforcing Injection during the year (i.e. having in a previous year received a complete full course) | |||
| Ages at Date of Final Injection | ||||
| Under 1 | 1-4 | 5-14 | Total | |
| 390 | 119 | 17 | 526 | 136 |