§ Mr. Viantasked the Minister of Health (1) how many children under five and between five and 15 years of age were immunised against diphtheria during the first half of 1945;
1289W(2) how many cases of diphtheria in immunised children were recorded in England and Wales during the first six months of 1945; and whether any immunised cases proved fatal.
§ Mr. BevanReturns received from all but a few local authorities indicate that during the six months to 30th June, 1945, 201,465 children under five, and 65,469 between five and 15, were immunised under local authority arrangements in England and Wales; that of 6,168 children notified as suffering from diphtheria 1,959 were immunised and 4,209 un-immunised, and that of 289 children who died from diphtheria 24 were immunised and 265 unimmunised. A true statistical assessment of the results of immunisation in the current year must await the Registrar-General's conclusions, which are normally, published in the Ministry's Annual Report.