§ Mr. Viantasked the Minister of Health how many cases of diphtheria occurred in fully immunised children in the borough of Southend-on-Sea in the years 1939 to 1944 and the first half of 1945;and whether any of them and, if so, how many, proved fatal
§ Mr. BevanInformation in the form asked for by my hon. Friend has only been obtained from local authorities from 1942 onwards. According to returns received from the Southend-on-Sea authority since that date no cases of, or deaths from, diphtheria occurred among immunised children between January, 1942 and June, 1945. Among children not immunised there were 14 cases and 1 death in 1942, 7 cases and 1 death in 1943, no cases or deaths in 1944, and 3 cases and 1 death in the first half of 1945.