HC Deb 03 July 1958 vol 590 cc122-3W
Mrs. Butler

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the attack rate of paralytic poliomyelitis for children under 15 years, and for persons over 15 years for each of the years 1950 to 1957, inclusive.

Mr. Maclay

Separate figures in respect of paralytic poliomyelitis are not available. Experience has shown that about 65 per cent. of all the notifications relate to this form of the disease and the following table gives rates on this basis:—

Rates per 100,000 population
Children under 15 years of age Persons over 15 years of age
1950 47.3 2.5
1951 11.7 1.5
1952 8.9 0.7
1953 15.3 1.2
1954 17.2 1.5
1955 25.5 1.8
1956 10.7 1.1
1957 6.1 0.9

Mrs. Butler

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many vaccinated children developed poliomyelitis in 1957.

Mr. Maclay

During 1957 notifications were received that poliomyelitis developed in eight of the 290,000 children who had been vaccinated in 1956 and 1957. Of these eight, only three were affected by paralysis in any degree. The total number of children under 15 who contracted poliomyelitis in 1957 was 122.