6
number of revaccinations all go to explain the rise in numbers. In Bellary and
Kurnool, a change was made in the off-season months, and the vaccinators
worked eight months as compared with seven months in the previous year.
Moreover, vaccination was made compulsory in three taluks of Kurnool District.
In Coimbatore District, one additional vaccinator was employed during the year
under review.
(2) The districts which recorded large decreases included Gōdāvari
(-16,644), Salem (-15,101), Chittoor (-12,206), Guntūr (-8,444) Kistna and
West Gōdāvari (-8,149), Tinnevelly (-6,823), Trichinopoly (-4,738), Vizaga-
patam (—4,657) and Tanjore (—4,178). Decreases varying between 750 and 3,800
were reported from Anantapur, North Arcot, Caddapah, Malabar and The Nilgiris.
The following reasons have been given in explanation of these decreases :—
(a) Gōdāvari.—Lack of supervision of the out-door work of vaccinators
for nearly two months owing to the absence of the District Health Officer, no
vaccination during the off-season, and failure to appoint substitutes in leave
vacancies.
(b) Salem, Anantapur, Tinnevelly, Cuddapah, Malabar, The Nilgiris, Kistna
and West Gōdāvari.—Reduction in incidence of small-pox, difficulty in finding
unprotected cases consequent on the systematic work done by vaccinators in
previous years, and failure to appoint substitutes in certain leave vacancies.
(c) Chittoor.—Reduction in the incidence of small-pox, and absence of
temporary vaccinators.
(d) Guntūr.—Decrease in the number of vaccinators, and emigration of
the labouring classes owing to economic stress.
(e) Trichinopoly.—Defective registration of births, emigration to Ceylon
necessitated by economic conditions and reduction of the minima of vaccinators.
(f) Vizagapatam.—Reduction in the incidence of small-pox and of the
minima of vaccinators, difficulty in finding unprotected cases for vaccination, and
failure to fill vacancies in the staff of vaccinators.
(g) Tanjore.—Prevalence of cholera throughout the year, lack of co-opera
tion from the village headmen and presidents of union boards, reduction in the
incidence of small-pox and a more vigorous anti-vaccination campaign.
(h) North Arcot.—Improper maintenance of vital statistics registers,
failure to appoint substitutes for two vaccinators granted leave, non-supply of
vaccination equipment to vaccinators and lack of co-operation from the
Pernambut Union Board.
(3) The ratio of successful vaccinations per mille of population varied
from 27.4 in Tanjore District to 90.1 in The Nilgiris District. Compared with the
previous year, increases were recorded in nine districts and decreases in the others.
The largest increase ( + 6.8) was returned by Bellary and the largest decrease
(-20.4) by The Nilgiris District.
(4) The number of children under one year of age successfully vaccinated
totalled 639,827 as compared with 584,137 in the previous year. The percentage
of successful infantile vaccinations to total births varied from 34.1 in Nellore
District to 67.6 in The Nilgiris District. Compared with the previous year, 14
districts recorded increases, the largest improvements being recorded in Bellary
( +11.7), Anantapur ( + 9.8), Kurnool ( + 9.5), Rāmnād ( + 8.6), Cuddapah (+7.7),
Vizagapatam ( + 6.9), South Kanara (+6.7), Tanjore (+5.8), Malabar ( + 5.7),
and Nellore (+5.3).
The marked decreases which occurred in Kistna ( — 30.6) and Trichinopoly
—26.1) are attributed to a decreased incidence of small-pox, defective
registration of births and reduction in the minima of vaccinators. Details of
infantile vaccination rates for individual districts are furnished in Annexure A.
20. Vaccination in municipalities.—(1) The total number of vaccination
operations performed in the 81 municipalities of the Presidency rose from
183,196 in 1925-26 to 202,667 in the year under report, an increase of 19,411. In
53 municipalities increases were recorded, the most marked being in Madura
( + 18,590), Trichinopoly ( + 2,439), Coimbatore ( + 1,425), Guntūr ( + 1,344),
Chingleput ( + 626), Kurnool ( + 590), Ootacamund ( + 577) and Hindupur
( + 548).