London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
West Ham 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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The number of children immunised during the year by medical officers of the authority or reported as having been immunised by general practitioners in the area are given in the following table
| AGE at date of final injection | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | Total | |
| A. Children who completed a full course of immunisation. | 1,043 | 310 | 39 | 23 | 31 | 686 | 128 | 2,270 |
| B. Children who received a secondary reinforcing injection. | - | - | - | 1 | 46 | 3,077 | 917 | 4,041 |
The following table gives, as nearly as can be estimated, the proportion of
children in any age group who have received a course of immunisation since 1st January,
1940:-
Number of Children at 31st December, 1954, who had completed a course of Immunisation at any time before that date (i.e.. at any time since 1st January. 1940).
| Age at 31.12.54 i.e., Born in Year | Under 1 1954 | 1-4 1953-1950 | 5-9 1949-1945 | 10-14 1944-1940 | Under 15 Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last complete course of injections (whether primary or booster) A. 1950 - 1954 B. 1949 or earlier | 193 | 5,440 | 9,740 | 2,675 | 18,048 |
| - | - | 1,449 | 8,082 | 9,531 | |
| C. Estimated mid-year child population | 2,810 | 10,090 | 27,100 | 40,000 | |
| Immunity index 100A/C | 6.86 | 53.91 | 45.81 | 45.1 | |
It should be recognised that the validity of the immunity index depends upon the
accuracy of the figures from which it is calculated. In view of the impossibility of
ascertaining the effects of the considerable amount of emigration and immigration effecting
the Borough, they cannot be regarded as more than a fair approximation. The "Immunity
Index", therefore, cannot be taken as indicating the percentage of children in the Borough
who are immunised, but it probably gives some indication of the broad level of immunisation
attained.
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