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
Hackney 1885
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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TABLE IV.
Percentages of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Cases of Small-pox at different ages in Hackney. Years 1881—1884 and 1885 and Population.
| VACCINATED CASES. | UNVACCINATED CASES. | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ages | 0 1 | 1 5 | 5 10 | 10 15 | 15 25 | 25 35 | 35 45 | 45 and above | Total number of Cases | 0 1 | 1 5 | 5 10 | 10 15 | 15 25 | 25 and above | Total number of Cases |
| 1881 | 0.5 | 6.0 | 10.9 | 16.0 | 83.9 | 19.2 | 8.8 | 4.7 | 1075 | 25.0 | 24.4 | 20.6 | 12.5 | 14.4 | 3.1 | 160 |
| 1884 | .9 | 5.6 | 12.9 | 17.9 | 85.9 | 15.5 | 6.9 | 4.4 | 1155 | 18.4 | 36.8 | 21.4 | 14.3 | 8.1 | 1.0 | 98 |
| 1885 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 11.1 | 15.5 | 41.4 | 13.8 | 8.2 | 5.9 | 341 | 28.2 | 25.6 | 25.6 | 7.7 | 12.9 | • | 39 |
| Means | .8 | 4.8 | 11.6 | 16.5 | 37.1 | 16.2 | 8.0 | 5.0 | Means | 23.9 | 28.9 | 22.5 | 11.6 | 11.8 | 1.4 | |
| 5.6 | 52.8 | |||||||||||||||
| Percentage of Population. | 129 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 20.4 | 15.8 | 11.5 | 18.3 | 100 | 12.9 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 20.4 | 45.6 | 100 | ||
The table shows that whilst the number living at the age
period of 0/5, that is to say, under 5 years, was 12.9 per cent.
of the whole, the cases of small-pox at that age amongst the
vaccinated were 56 per cent. of the total, whilst amongst the
unvaccinated there were as many as 52.8 per cent. of the total
unvaccinated cases. This shows the almost certainty that the
probability of an attack of small-pox at 0/5 age amongst those
who are unprotected by vaccination is nearly ten times as great
as amongst those who are vaccinated, whether properly or not.
This, however, is only a small portion of the advantage of
vaccination, as the death rate amongst the unvaccinated under
5 years old is about 55 per cent. of those attacked against none
amongst the well-vaccinated and 15 amongst the badly
vaccinated. The large proportion of cases between 15 and 25
years of age amongst the vaccinated as compared with those at