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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 Group
Erysipelas
Scarlatina or
Scarlet Fever
Measles
Whooping Cough
Anthrax
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 and
suspected food
poisoning
Leprosy
Smallpox
No case of smallpox was notified in the area.
Vaccination against Smallpox.
Vaccination against smallpox is provided by the County Council in
accordance with their Scheme formulated under Section 26 of the National
Health Service Act. By arrangement with the District Councils it is
directed locally by the District Medical Officers. The usual practice is to
endeavour to secure the inoculation of infants about the third or fourth
month of life. Since the repeal of the Vaccination Acts the service is
optional, but for many years the percentage of children under 5 years of
age successfully vaccinated has been maintained at not far short of 60%
—a figure which compares very favourably with the national experience.
With the more frequent importations of smallpox into this country in
recent months, there has naturally been a keener appreciation of the
benefits of this protection procedure against what is a major killing
infection, with the result that the vaccination rate in pre school children
has now risen to over 60%.
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