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3
Borough of Mitcham
HEALTH REPORT FOR 1957
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have much pleasure in submitting my annual report for the
year 1957.
The general health in the Borough has been good and there
was no special outbreak of infectious disease with the exception of a
pandemic of Influenza which started in the Far East early in the year,
reaching this country in the autumn. It was fortunate that it was
of a relatively mild type with few fatalities, in view of the fact that
large numbers of the population were affected. Children were
particularly susceptible, with up to 50% becoming absentees in
many schools.
The notifications of infectious diseases rose from the rather low
figure of 322 for 1956 to 1,590, mainly due to the increase in measles,
which tends to have a two-yearly cycle.
There were no cases of diphtheria, making eight years free of
cases.
Much attention is now paid to poliomyelitis and in the progress
of the immunisation campaign. By the end of 1957, 2,191 children
had been immunised out of 2,968 who registered. More immunisations
would have been carried out but it was limited by the supply
of vaccine. No cases of poliomyelitis occurred in the immunised
group. There were two cases of poliomyelitis in non-immunised
children and one man, two cases being of moderate severity and one
non-paralytic.
The tuberculosis death rate resumed its downward trend, 0.08
against 0.20 for 1956 and comparing with 0.11 per 1,000 population