London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Sutton and Cheam 1954

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Sutton and Cheam]

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of nine hundred and thirty eight babies born in 1953 showed
that five hundred and seventeen, representing 55 per cent, had
been immunised. Of the children under five years of age, two
thousand six hundred and ninety, representing 57 per cent, had
been immunised. Of the school children of five to fourteen
years of age, seven thousand and six, representing 65 per cent
had been immunised and sufficiently reinforced and two thousand
and fifty three, representing 19 per cent, previously immunised
required further reinforcement. During 1954 one thousand eight
hundred and sixty one reinforcing injections were given.
Measles One hundred and seventy cases of Measles were
notified, a decrease of four hundred and forty nine cases. A
minor epidemic occurred from January to April. The case rate
was 2.15 per thousand of population, compared with 3.32 per
thousand of population for England and Wales. There was no
death.

The monthly incidence of notified cases is shown in the following table.

January75July6
February36August7
March20September2
April19October-
May-November1
June2December2

Measles is caused by a virus against which there is no
specific drug. The Sulphonamldes and Penicillin have reduced
complications from secondary infections. There is always a
danger that an occasional child may fall to react adequately to
the infection and careful nursing and careful convalescence are
necessary, The young baby and the weakly child should be
protected frcm acquiring infection, The illness can be prevented
or greatly modified by injecting Gamma Globulin early in the
incubation period A limited quantity of Gamma Globulin is
available for cases where there is a special risk.
Whooping Cough. Eighty one cases were notified in 1954,
compared with three hundred and eight cases in 1953 There was
a low prevalence throughout the year. The case rate was 1.02
per thousand of population, compared with 2.39 per thousand of
population for England and Wales- There was no death.

The monthly incidence of notified cases is shown in the following table.

January10July2
February8August8
March4September8
April4October6
May4November13
June12December2