[Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, St Albans City.

  • St. Albans (England). City Council.
Date:
1959
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, St Albans City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/44 (page 17)
    Tuberculosis CASES ON REGISTER AT 31st DECEMBER, 1959 PULMONARY NON-PULMONARY St. Albans City ... St. Albans R.D_ TOTALS . Male Female 229 (234) 133 (135) 162 (174) 127 (134) 391 (408) 260 (269) Figures at 31.12.58 ai Male Female 19 (23) 18 (17) 11 (12) 16 (19) 30 (35) 34 (38) in brackets. Total 399 (409) 316 (339) 715 (748) The increases are, I believe, due to more intensive search for cases, e.g.. Mass Radiography, and the better co-operation of other Local Authorities in notifying to us their cases moving into our district. I do not think the disease is, in fact, increasing. Smallpox There were no cases during 1959. Vaccination The following figures obtained from the Divisional Health Office relate to the St. Albans Division, which comprises St. Albans City, St. Albans R.D.C., Harpenden U.D.C. and Elstree R.D.C. NUMBER OF PERSONS VACCINATED (OR RE-VACCINATED) DURING 1959 Ages at 31st December Under 1 1 2-4 5-14 15 and Total over Number vaccinated ... 1,726 61 25 45 27 1,884 Number re-vaccinated... — — 6 23 119 148 Number of cases specially reported during period (age groups as above) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Nil Number of births registered for the St. Albans Division ... ... 2,314 Primary vaccination rate per 100 births ... ... ... ... 81.4 Of the total number of primary vaccinations (1,884), 952 were done at County Council Clinics. The primary vaccination rate of 81.4 per 100 births is up on last year (78.75). I strongly advocate vaccination before the age of 1 year when the risks involved are negligible. Many people in later life find they must be vaccinated either to travel abroad or take up some employment where vaccination is insisted upon. The risks in vaccination in later years are much greater, except when the primary vaccination has been done in infancy. The great increase in air travel has also increased the risk of smallpox being brought into the country, as a case may be infected in, say, Egypt or India, and be here before the onset of the disease, whereas previously, by surface transport, the time involved in the journey ensured that the disease became apparent before landing in the United Kingdom.