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Section F— PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF
INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES
Diphtheria.
It is gratifying to note that no cases of Diphtheria occurred
during the year under review. It would be futile, however, to
regard this as a direct result of the immunisation of children carried
out during 1946 and previous years, as the number of children
presenting themselves for immunisation is still far too few.
However, the number immunised during 1946 shows an
increase of 129 over those for 1945, viz.: 744 against 615 for
1945, an increase of 21%.
In Chingford it is estimated that ony 72% of children under
15 years of age are immunised. It is considered that unless and
until about 95% of all children under the age of 15 years are
immunised, Diphtheria cannot be regarded as an entirely preventable
disease.
It cannot be too strongly urged on parents to have their
children immunised as soon after the age of nine months as possible,
and to have reinforcing immunisation carried out at the age of 5
years and again at the age of 8 years and 11 years. Facilities for
immunisation exist at all County Council clinics in the Borough
and arrangements are made, as occasion arises, for school children
to be immunised at school. The prophylactics used are Diphtheria
A.P.T. and T.A.F.
Diphtheria Immunisation.
Number of children immunised during the year:—
Under 5 years 576
Between 5 and 15 years 131
Total 707
Number receiving secondary or reinforcing
injections during the year 37
The number of children immunised during the year showed
an increase over the previous year, but the numbers accepting this
service are not sufficiently high to warrant any sense of security.
Scarlet Fever.

All the cases of Scarlet Fever were of the usual mild type,
presenting few if any complications. The percentage of cases
removed to hospital decreased.
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