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Section F—Prevalence of and Control over
Infectious and other Diseases.
The district has within its boundaries three General Hospitals two
of which, namely Queen Mary's Hospital for Children and the St. Helier
Hospital, are particularly large institutions which are part of the hospital
services of the South-West Metropolitan Hospital Region. Many of the
cases notified from these hospitals are admitted there from other districts
already suffering from a notifiable disease, but not diagnosed until after
admission. In order, therefore, to give a clearer picture of the prevalence
of infectious disease in the resident population of the district, separate
figures are given in this Section which exclude cases of hospital patients
who are not residents of the district. The figures given are after correction
for original errors in diagnosis.
Notification
The following diseases are notifiable in the district:
Smallpox
Cholera
Diphtheria
Membranous Croup
Erysipelas
Scarlatina or
Scarlet Fever
Measles
Whooping Cough
Tuberculosis
Dysentery
Acute Primary
Pneumonia
Acute Influenzal
Pneumonia
Acute Poliomyelitis
Acute
Polioencephalitis
Typhus Fever
Typhoid Fever
Enteric Fever
Relapsing or Continued
Fever
Meningococcal Infection
Ophthalmia
Neonatorum
Puerperal Pyrexia
Malaria
Food Poisoning
Leprosy
Smallpox
Variola infection is now a comparatively rare event in this country.
Outbreaks when they do occur are invariably the result of infection imported
from abroad. No cases occurred in this district during the year nor
was there occasion to supervise any contacts of cases occurring elsewhere.
Vaccination.
The County Council is responsible for the scheme of vaccination
against smallpox under section 26 of the National Health Service Act, 1948.
The arrangements locally are, however, with the agreement of the District
Councils directed by the District Medical Officers of Health. This protective
treatment is available as a free service at the infant welfare and
school clinics. It can also be secured from doctors providing general
practitioner services under the Act.
The main object of the scheme is to secure primary vaccination during
infancy. This not only confers a measure of immunity at as early an age as
possible, but avoids the risks of more severe reaction which are associated
with vaccination when first performed in later life.
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