§ Mr. Leachasked the Minister of Heath whether the return regarding immunisation and immunised cases of diphtheria, compiled on information supplied in response to his circular dated 12th June, 1941, is now complete; if so, will he state the number of cases of diphtheria in children under 15 years of age notified between 1st January, 1940, and 30th September, 1941, and in how many of these cases the child had been immunised; and whether he has any information regarding the amount of immunisation performed in the areas furnishing particulars for the return?
§ Mr. E. BrownThe returns regarding diphtheria immunisation obtained from local authorities as a whole at 30th September, 1941, showed that between 1st January, 1940, and that date the number of notifications in England of diphtheria in children under the age of 15 was approximately 51,700, and that approximately 2,380 of these children had received a course of immunisation. In the same period the total number of children immunised under local authority arrangements in England was approximately 1,889;000. By the end of June, 1942, this number had increased to close on 3,000,000.