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Smallpox
Only two persons arriving unvaccinated from the Middle East where smallpox
is endemic were notified to the Public Health Department during the year. They
were kept under observation until the incubation period of the disease had elapsed.
One other contact of a suspected case was notified, but the case subsequently
was not confirmed as smallpox.
Vaccination against Smallpox

Total number of first vaccinations
1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963
548 487 438 418 430 531 525 455 584 2, 192 251
These figures are the lowest for years, and show very clearly the influence
of fear on the population. There was no newspaper report of smallpox in 1963.
so vaccination was neglected., yet the risk was no greater and no less in either
year. In both years, persons from infectious areas entered the Borough and
might have developed the illness, but did not.
Vaccination of persons intending to travel abroad has to be confirmed by
the vaccinating doctor on an International Certificate of Vaccination which is
not acceptable unless the signature is authenticated by the Medical Officer of
Health. During 1963 643 such Certificates were authenticated, compared with
2,681 in 1962.
Scarlet Fever
There was again a fall in the number of cases of scarlet fever notified
and confirmed as such, the figure being 16 in 1963 compared with 18 in 1962 and
23 in 1961, 5 of these cases were admitted to hospital, Three of the cases
occurred at the same time in one household, but there were no secondary cases
during the year.
Whooping Cough
Seven cases of whooping cough occurred in 1963, four being sufficiently
severe as to require hospital admission. Immunisation against whooping cough
is fairly general now, the inoculation being carried out either simultaneously
with that for immunisation against diphtheria, or in series alternating with
anti-diphtheria inoculation and outbreaks of whooping cough have not been
occurring during the past few years.
No deaths occurred from this disease during 1963.
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