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187
[1907

VACCINATION.
The vaccination returns of the Borough are among the most important
annually issued, for although we are passing through a quiescent period so far
as Small Pox is concerned, yet at any moment, if its one great preventive,
vaccination, were neglected, we might have an outbreak of the disease. It
may be news to many people that there is hardly a week passes in which some
of the London Medical Officers of Health are notified by the Port Medical
Officers of Health of London, Southampton, Liverpool, Bristol or other places
where passengers land from ocean-going steamers, of the arrival of persons in
England who are on their way to London residences, who have come from
ports infested with Small Pox or Cholera, or who have been in ships in which
these diseases have appeared. Consequently there is always a possibility of an
imported case causing an outbreak of disease.
The returns show that 6,260 vaccinations were successfullv performed,
representing 79.9 per cent. of the births, less 696 infants who had died
unvaccinated. This is somewhat better than the last published statistic for
England and Wales, which is 75.3 per cent.
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