View report page

9
10 per cent. for immunisations carried out privately or in other
areas—a percentage obtained as a result of the house-to-house
enquiry made by health visitors in 1943. This would mean that a
better estimate of the percentage of children under five years
immunised is 53 per cent. It should also be borne in mind that
of the children under five years of age, until recently the group
under one year could not commence to receive injections until at
least 11 months of age. Thus, in practice, the number under five
years immunised relates almost entirely to children aged one year
and under five. Consequently, making allowance for the fact that
few children under one year can complete immunisation before
they are 12 months of age, to get a truer picture of the position it
would be better to ignore the group under one year of age. If this
is done, the percentage of children immunised over one but under
five years of age is 65 per cent.
Of the 3,860 children aged five years and under 14 years of age.
2,437 have been immunised at the Borough Clinic—a percentage
of 63 per cent. If the estimated allowance for private immunisation,
etc., is added, the percentage of such children estimated to be
immunised in Barnes is 69 per cent.
PROTECTION AGAINST WHOOPING COUGH.
The Council's scheme for the free inoculation of children against
whooping cough continues in operation.
The number of children attending for inoculation against
whooping cough continued without diminution during 1947.
HOME HELPS SERVICE.
The Home Help Service has continued throughout the year to
cater for an obvious need. It has worked very satisfactorily and
at the end of the year there were seven whole-time and three parttime
helps employed in this work. All the Home Helps have
worked well and there have been many expressions of appreciation
of their assistance.
CLEANSING STATION.
The Barnes Cleansing Station continued to serve a necessary
purpose throughout the year. There has been no alteration in the
arrangements to combat infestation which were enumerated in
detail in the Annual Report for 1944.
In no case during the vear was it found necessary to take
statutory action.
BOROUGH ACCIDENT AND GENERAL PURPOSES AMBULANCE
SERVICE.
Details of the number of journeys made and the types of cases
dealt with by the Borough Ambulances are given in Table 19.