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

View report page

Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

Newham 1965

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Newham]

This page requires JavaScript

Text

Copy text to clipboard

Two oases of paratyphoid fever were notified. One of paratyphoid A in a visiting Indian
seaman with a bone abscess and the other paratyphoid B in a child aged 4 years thought to have
been infected in Spain.

Table: VENEREAL DISEASEA special Clinic for the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases is held at Queen Mary's Hospital, Stratford, E.15., to whom I am indebted for the following statistics:

VENEREAL DISEASE

A special Clinic for the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases is held at Queen Mary's Hospital, Stratford, E.15., to whom I am indebted for the following statistics:

Newham Residents
196519661967196819691970
All attendances4l6419518551540689
All Patients
196519661967126819691970
Syphilis383329121817
Gonorrhoea130101133123131170
Other conditions5546186847888521012

Text

Copy text to clipboard

Syphilis has continued to decline, but there has been an increase in Gonorrhoea
corresponding to the national trend. Increased attendances at the clinic indicate that more
patients are seeking advice, many of whom are found to be free from infection.
WHOOPING COUGH
The increase in whooping cough notifications between 1965 and 1967 was part of a
national trend. Although the cause was not ascertained it was believed that it was due to
the appearance of a new strain or organism against which the vaccines then in use were not
fully effective.
A new modified vaccine has been in use since 1968. A decline in notifications took
place that year and in 1969, although there was a rise again in 1970.
In 1968, the new schedule of immunisations recommended by the Department of Health
was introduced in Newham. Triple antigen (diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis vaccine) is now
offered at 4, 6 and 12 months of age with a booster dose of diphtheria/tetanus vaccine at
school entry. Oral poliomyelitis vaccine is given at the same time. The proportion of
Newham children receiving the primary course of three doses of vaccine is between 80% and 85%.
12