HC Deb 10 November 1942 vol 383 cc2279-83W
Professor Hill

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that seven anti-vivisection societies in Great Britain have between them invested capital of about £300,000 and an annual income of about £40,000 which is devoted largely to propaganda, by advertisements and otherwise, against modem scientific methods of preventive medicine; and whether, in view of the fact that eight children on the average die every day of diphtheria alone, he will take steps to counter these activities.

Mr. E. Brown

As my hon. Friend will be aware from the answers given to my hon. Friends the Members for Moseley (Sir P. Hannon) and Bournemouth (Sir L. Lyle) on 10th September and 22nd October respectively, local authorities and my Department have for some time been taking steps to counter these societies' activities in regard to immunisation against diphtheria by the use of many forms of publicity. This publicity is continuing. In addition I have asked welfare authorities to do their best to relieve health visitors of their non-urgent routine duties so that they may devote most of their time during the next two or three months to the immunisation campaign. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Education has also asked local education authorities and head teachers to use their influence with parents, and to help the campaign in other ways.

Mr. A. Edwards

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that a pamphlet recently circulated to all Members of the House charges the Ministry with misrepresentation and evasiveness in its claims for diphtheria immunisation; and whether he will appoint an impartial committee to examine these allegations.

Mr. Brown

I have seen the pamphlet mentioned. The case for immunisation against diphtheria is fully supported by medical opinion and practical experience in other countries, and as advocacy of immunisation has been the Government's considered policy for some time past, I do not think there would be any advantage in the appointment of a committee.

Mr. Leach

asked the Minister of Health how many cases notified as diphtheria were rediagnosed as some other disease in Birmingham in the years 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940 and 1941; and how many of them occurred in children who had been previously inoculated against diphtheria.

Mr. Brown

The information asked for by my hon. Friend is not readily available, and to obtain all the particulars referred to, even if practicable, would mean imposing a laborious task on the local authority concerned. I do not feel justified in thus adding to the strain under which local authorities and their Medical Officers of Health are working at the present time.

Professor Hill

asked the Minister of Health whether he can give recent figures showing the absolute number and, where possible, the proportion, of children immunised against diphtheria in the different county boroughs at ages under five, between five and 15 and total under 15?

Mr. Brown

The appended table gives the desired particulars as at 30th June, 1942. The percentage figures are estimates made by the authorities themselves. Present circumstances, in particular

Number of children immunised against diplitheria under Local Authority arrangements in County Boroughs between 1st January, 1940, and 30th June, 1942, as shown by returns furnished by the Medical Officers of Health.
County Boroughs. Total immunised from 1st January, 1940, to 30th June, 1942 Approximate Estimate by Local Authority of percentage of Child population immunised at 30th June, 1942.
Age under 5. Age 5–15. Total. Age under 5. Age 5–15.
Reading … 2,344 5,514 7,858 Not available
Birkenhead … 1,610 3,866 5,476 13 51
Chester … 518 1,720 2,238 19 66
Stockport … 1,978 8,823 10,801 35 61
Wallasey … 845 1,143 1,988 16 44
Carlisle … 1,062 6,666 7,728 27 71
Derby … 2,692 4,255 6,947 29 58
Exeter … 1,944 7,024 8,968 46 77
Plymouth … 4,023 8,425 12,448 30 52
Darlington … 1,081 2,568 3,649 25 25
Gateshead … 1,385 8,336 9,721 15 53
South Shields … 2,997 1,934 4,931 32 66
Sunderland … 2,836 5,387 8,223 18 19
West Hartlepool … 440 3,639 4,079 17 55
East Ham … 782 1,228 2,010 40 42
Southend-on-Sea … 1,028 1,720 2,748 11 26
West Ham … 1,626 1,918 3,544 33 40
Bristol … 4,274 11,555 15,829 16 48
Gloucester … 1,279 3,148 4,427 28 41
Canterbury … 237 910 1,147 28 63
Barrow-in-Furness … 806 1,292 2,098 35 65
Blackburn … 1,468 4,890 6,358 19 73
Blackpool … 1,958 2,635 4,593 27 65
Bolton … 2,496 9,280 11,776 18 47
Bootle … 565 1,164 1,729 11 59
Burnley … 1,169 1,406 2,575 18 25
Bury … 671 2,044 2,715 22 43
Liverpool … 7,047 9,144 16,191 12 41
Manchester … 12,060 14,379 26,439 26 67
Oldham … 2,011 3,218 5,229 31 78
Preston … 1,517 6,359 7,876 20 80
Rochdale … 1,412 744 2,156 25 18
St. Helens … 2,873 6,342 9,215 26 49
Salford … 1,520 5,504 7,024 13 51
Southport … 1,562 3,142 4,704 30 64
Warrington … 1,350 1,917 3,267 23 68
Wigan … 463 2,484 2,947 Not available
Leicester … 6,144 5,376 11,520 44 38
Grimsby … 1,188 7,081 8,269 30 60
Lincoln … 1,379 5,780 7,159 31 57
Great Yarmouth … 438 1,804 2,242 25 77
Norwich … 1,355 4,405 5,760 16 40
Northampton … 1,493 9,754 11,247 20 60
Newcastle-on-Tyne … 4,104 14,201 18,305 47 64
Tynemouth … 1,356 5,746 7,102 33 73
Nottingham … 5,153 27,219 32,372 26 76
Oxford … 1,983 10,006 11,989 26 60
Bath … 754 1,574 2,328 25 23
Bournemouth … 2,333 3,157 5,490 32 21
Portsmouth … 2,396 5,763 8,159 26 70
Southampton … 1,129 3,140 4,269 32 54
Burton-upon-Trent … 898 2,785 3,683 30 57

abnormal movements of population, do not permit of statistical calculation of the ratio of the number immunised to the total population.

County Boroughs. Total immunised from 1st January, 1940, to 30th June, 1942. Approximate Estimate by Local Authority of percentage of Child population immunised at 30th June, 1942.
Age under 5. Age 5–15. Total. Age under 5. Age 5–15.
Smethwick … 1,323 2,779 4,102 37 51
Stoke-on-Trent … 4,008 12,080 16,088 18 46
Walsall … 1,202 5,365 6,567 17 53
West Bromwich … 1,457 4,179 5,636 20 48
Wolverhampton … 2,517 2,664 5,181 24 60
Ipswich … 1,029 4,542 5,571 17 40
Croydon … 3,224 5,672 8,896 36 37
Brighton … 1,796 8,672 10,468 17 47
Eastbourne … 476 1,095 1,571 27 33
Hastings … 383 610 993 16 15
Birmingham … 22,945 23,1456 46,401 53 57
Coventry … 2,373 8,571 10,944 32 56
Dudley … 1,435 1,963 3,398 34 89
Worcester … 577 1,349 1,926 13 46
Kingston-upon-Hull … 1,654 2,695 4,349 6 36
York … 1,460 2,148 3,608 38 35
Middlesbrough … 2,714 13,496 16,210 17 63
Barnsley … 2,415 2,236 4,651 45 74
Bradford … 2,817 18,235 21,052 50 50
Dewsbury … 870 2,373 3,243 16 32
Doncaster … 1,061 2,829 3,890 20 47
Halifax … 1,117 2,172 3,289 16 25
Huddersfield … 2,393 3,350 5,743 40 60
Leeds … 9,102 11,456 20,558 27 65
Rotherham … 1,504 3,964 5,468 20 35
Sheffield … 7,762 16,593 24,355 22 20
Wakefield … 962 661 1,623 28 39