[Report 1972] / Medical Officer of Health, Denbigh Borough.

  • Denbigh (Wales). Borough Council.
Date:
1972
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1972] / Medical Officer of Health, Denbigh Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The number of children who received immunisation against diphtheria, whooping cough, poliomyelitis and tetanus is satis- factory. Whilst notifications of these diseases are now uncommon, reports from the Public Health Laboratory Service indicate the continuing presence of the causative organisms in the environment, thus it is extremely important to maintain a high level of immunity in the children. It is a tribute to the present generation of parents who have no personal experience of cases of diphtheria or polio- myelitis that they ensure that their children are protected against these lethal diseases. The number of children receiving immunisa- tion against measles is encouraging but has not yet attained the necessary level to prevent cases occurring. 12 cases of measles were notified during 1972. The number of smallpox vaccinations was only 4 due to the national policy of discontinuing routine vaccination of infants. This was based on the very small number of cases of smallpox that have occurred in Wales and England in recent years. However, the low incidence of the disease is at least in part due to past vac- cination programmes. With the increasing volume of rapid air travel between Britain and countries in Asia where the disease is still prevalent the risk of importation remains and many in the medical profession feel that the discontinuance of routine small- pox vaccination was premature. Tuberculosis — B.C.G. Vaccination The number of senior school children tested and B.C.G. vac- cination were as follows: (These figures include children residing outside the Borough). Denbigh Comprehensive School Number of children tested 138 Number of children found to be positive ... 8 Number of children found to be negative ... 130 Number of children given B.C.G. vaccination 130 The percentage of children giving positive reactions to the skin test was 6% compared with 20% during 1971. The positive reactors were investigated. No cases of tuberculosis were dis- covered. Positive skin tests are a sensitive indication of the pre- valence of tubercle or closely related bacilli in the environment and it is pleasing to record this decreasing incidence of positive reactors. Care of the Aged A number of old people were visited during the year, but no case required action under Section 47 of the National Assistance Act 1948.