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 1942
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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25
Diphtheria Immunisation.—The active immunisation of
persons against diphtheria has been available for Hackney residents
since January, 1928. Weekly sessions are held at three clinics and
the Council pays the fees of 30 local medical practitioners who
administer immunising injections under the Council's scheme.
These practitioners immunised 348 children during the year.
The following table gives particulars of the work carried out under the scheme since 1928:—
| Year. | No. of Now Cases. | Schick Tested. | Commenced treatment without Schick Test. | Naturally Immune. | Immunised. | Discontinued treatment and struck off Register. | No. under treatment at end of year. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-School Age. | School Age. | Adults. | Pre-School Age. | School Ago. | Adults | ||||||
| 1928 to 1940 | 11951 | 2169 | 5716 | 222 | 3847 | 1637 | 4378 | 3625 | 48 | 1903 | 355 |
| 1941 | 1972 | 41 | 880 | 73 | 978 | 316 | 1015 | 669 | 35 | 141 | 151 |
| 1942 | 4581 | 59 | 1739 | 65 | 2718 | 597 | 2076 | 1586 | 10 | 97 | 366 |
A statement by the Medical Officer of the Clinics follows :—
"There was an excellent response to diphtheria immunisation during
the year—4,581 new cases as compared with 1,972 during 1941. On
account of the tremendous influx of new cases a third Clinic was opened
at Warwick Grove in October so as to relieve the pressure on the Lower
Clapton Road Clinic. The new Clinic is already serving its purpose and
shows a good attendance.
The Public Health Department continues to inform the public of the
value of diphtheria immunisation by propaganda through the Health
Visitors and by the first-birthday-wish postcards.
There was only one case of diphtheria reported in an immunised child,
which had a definite attack, but there were no complications and the child
recovered completely.
We still use three injections of toxoid antitoxin mixture because the
conversion rate with this antigen seems to be as high as ever, 98.5 per cent.
having been obtained during last year. The other great advantage of
the use of toxoid antitoxin mixture is still the fact that it does not give
any local or general reactions since I introduced the smaller first dose to
children between the ages of 8 and 11 and a desensitizing dose to children
over 12.
I wish to thank the nursing and clerical staffs at the Clinics for their
excellent work which enabled us to cope with such a huge amount of work."
TUBERCULOSIS.
The number of cases of tuberculosis notified for the first time
during the year was 279—244 pulmonary and 35 non-pulmonary, as
compared with 194 pulmonary and 32 non-pulmonary cases notified
during the year 1941. The deaths from this disease totalled 102—