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
Beddington and Wallington 1960
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Beddington and Wallington]
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Poliomyelitis The Poliomyelitis vaccination scheme, introduced in January 1956 continued, within the prescribed age groups, throughout 1960. The following is a summary of the persons who had been vaccinated by the end of the vear:
| Two Injections | Three Injections | |
|---|---|---|
| Children born 1943—1960 | 6858 | 6472 |
| Persons born 1920—1942 | 2620 | 1570 |
| Expectant Mothers | 410 | 355 |
| General Practitioner and Ambulance Staff | 60 | 32 |
| 9948 | 8429 |
An extension to the scheme for vaccination against poliomyelitis was
made on 1st February, 1960, when the Minister of Health offered vaccination
to persons up to their fortieth birthday. These persons are now
included amongst the priority groups for whom the Local Health Authority
may carry out vaccination.
The response from the groups for whom poliomyelitis vaccination has
been made available, has continued at a satisfactory level throughout the
year. However, persons within the new age group up to forty years of
age, have not come forward in such numbers as the Minister had hoped.
It should be emphasized that, while poliomyelitis has generally been
accepted as principally a disease of the young, statistics have shown in
recent years, that many paralytic cases had occurred between the ages of
twenty and forty.
School Clinics
With the coming into operation of the 1944 Education Act, the
Medical Officer of Health was appointed in September, 1945, Divisional
Medical Officer for the Beddington and Wallington half of the MidEastern
Divisional Executive of the County of Surrey. School clinics
were conducted at 57 Montagu Gardens Wallington, Rochester Road and
Phoenix Flats, Carshalton. The services provided at these clinics were
general medical inspection and treatment, dental treatment, speech therapy
and physiotherapy.
Cleansing of Persons
During 1960 the Corporation continued to provide facilities for cleansing
infested persons.
LABORATORY FACILITIES
The Corporation's arrangements for the examination of swabs, sputa
and other pathological material continue as heretofore.
During 1960, H. Amphlett Williams, Esq., Ph.D.(Lond.), A.C.G.F.C.,
F.R.I.C., Public Analyst, City of London Laboratories, King's Head
Yard, Borough High Street, London, S.E.I, continued the arrangement
made in 1946 for the examination of milk, water and ice-cream.
In general, pathological specimens, are sent to the Pathological
Laboratories at St. Helier Hospital. Samples of milk and water are
submitted for bacteriological examination to the Ministry of Health
laboratories at Epsom, reports being received free of charge under the
National Health Service Act, 1946.
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