[Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Godalming Borough.

  • Godalming (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1949
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Godalming Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/32 (page 13)
    *3 This is extremely satisfactory and indicates the readiness with which the intelligent population of Godaiming accept this excellent measure of protection for their children. Diphtheria Immunisation Statistics. Age at 31st December 1949 ... Under 1 i.e., born in year 1949 1 1948 2 3 1947 1946 4 1945 5-9 10-14 under 1944-40 1939-35 15 Number immunised ... 11 183 159 198 153 917 1158 2779 Estimated mid-year population, 1949 ... 1131 T 2058 3189 Number and percent- age immunised 704 67.47% *2075 100% 2779 87.14% Number re-immunised, 1946-1948 Number re-immunised, 1949 ... 15441 220/ 1764 * The excess number of children immunised over the estimated population is due to the inclusion of out-district children attending and immunised at Godaiming Schools. Vaccination. 179 births were notified from 1st January to 31st December, 1949. 64 children born in 1949 were vaccin- ated. Naturally those born towards the end of the year could not be due for vaccination until 1950, but as the same thing would apply to the children born in the last three months of 1948, it would not seem unreasonable to take the figure as it stands and say that roughly only one-third of the infants are now being vaccinated. Actual vaccinations carried out during 1949 at home, clinic and surgery were 134, including 34 child- ren born in 1948 and 64 in 1949. There is unquestionably a considerable drop in infantile vaccination in spite of home and clinic propaganda by the County Health Visitors. The fall is probably due to two chief causes: (1) The Vaccinating Officer no longer arrives at the home prepared to vaccinate then and there; (2) The opposi- tion of the father, probably due to his service experience. It is impossible to foretell what the result will be, but it does mean that the greatest care must be taken by every Medical Officer of Health to deal immediately, and as dras- tically as he is allowed, with every known smallpox contact so that an unprotected community may not fall victim to an outbreak of smallpox. Vaccination of all contacts will have to be immediate and thorough. If this is done, all may yet be well.