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10
Food Poisoning
There were 5 cases of food poisoning notified during the year.
One of the cases was a woman aged 50 who was admitted to the
South Middlesex Hospital thought to be suffering from Dysentery, but
was found to be infected with Salmonella typhi murium. The infection
cleared up quickly with treatment.
Another case notified of Salmonella typhi murium infection was
in a child aged 9 years. On investigation it was found that although
notified in this area, the child had already moved to another area, and
it was arranged that he should be followed up there. There were
three other isolated cases of Food Poisoning notified, but no infecting
organism was isolated and the cause was unknown.
Maternal Mortality
There were no maternal deaths during the year.
Infant Mortality Rate
The number of deaths of infants under one year was 8, as compared
with 9 of the previous year.
The infant mortality rate for this area is 18.2 per 1,000 live
births as compared with 22.6 for England and Wales.
This rate was increased by the fact that two of the infant deaths
were new born babies, whose bodies were found by the river, and
where the cause of death was unknown.
IMMUNISATION AND VACCINATION
Diphtheria and Whooping Cough — Immunisation was continued
throughout the year. The combined vaccine was used during the
winter months, but during the summer months the separate whooping
cough and diphtheria vaccines were used. This followed a recommendation
from the Ministry of Health that the separate vaccines were less
likely to provoke paralytic poliomyelitis. The immunisation in each
case is started when the child is three months old.
Smallpox — Vaccination was continued throughout the year, usually
following immunisation against diphtheria and whooping cough at
the age of six months.
Poliomyelitis — During the year, poliomyelitis vaccination proceeded,
and the numbers registering for vaccination greatly increased.
At the beginning of the year the scheme approved by the Ministry
of Health included children born between the years 1943 and 1957,
babies who had reached the age of 6 months and expectant mothers.
In the first quarter of the year, vaccine supplies were unequal to the