5
An improvement of 17.1 per cent in the total success rate under primary
vaccination is a satisfactory feature. The improvement is almost the same in all
three ranges, the rates being about 19 per cent in the Southern range, about 18 per
cent in the Central range and 14 per cent in the Northern range. The cessation
of vaccination during the hot weather months and improved quality of the vaccine
lymph supplied by the King Institute, Guindy, probably both combined to make
the improvement possible. Now that the downward curve of the past few years
has been reversed it is hoped that the increased percentage in success rate will
be progressively higher.
8. Compared with the previous year there was an increase of 62,985 in the
number of children under one year of age successfully vaccinated. This is more
or less satisfactory especially when one remembers that routine vaccination was
entirely stopped for nearly four months in the year, but inspections of the child
population in the Presidency make it evident that a very large proportion is still
entirely unprotected by vaccination.
The districts which attained the largest percentage of increase were the
Nilgiris (+ 24.2), Rāmnād (+ 16.7) and Chingleput (+ 15.1). Among munici
palities where primary vaccination is compulsory the highest increases were noticed
in Peddapur (+ 59.9), Erode (+ 35.5), Anantapur (+ 35.1), Cocanada (+ 30.7)
and Coonoor (+ 30.3). In the last-named municipality an epidemic of small-pox
broke out during recent months and before the child population in this town can
be considered effectively protected, a still further increase in successful vaccina
tions is essential. Large decreases were noticeable in Negapatam (— 40.5) and
Kodaikānal (- 33.5).
9. The cost of the various vaccination staffs and the average cost of each
successful case are exhibited in the following statement:—
Establishment.
Government establishment ... ...
Local Fund
do.
...
...
...
Municipal
do. ... ... ...
Cantonments
do. ... ... ...
Total ...
Total expenditure.
1920-21.
RS.
15,070
4,44,578
79,471
4,033
5,43,153
A.
6
3
3
9
6
P.
0
5
10
6
9
1921-22.
RS.
15,425
4,30,206
67,184
3,834
5,16,650
A.
0
12
1
4
3
P0
10
1
11
4
2
Average cost of each
successful case.
1920-21.
RS.
1
0
0
0
0
A.
3
10
11
13
10
P
6
4
6
1
8
1021-22.
RS.
1
0
0
0
0
A.
4
8
9
9
8
P.
0
5
1
4
8
The decrease in cost from As. 10-8 to As. 8-8 per case is due to (1) the
exclusion of the cost of the vaccine lymph supplied from the King Institute of
Preventive Medicine, Guindy, (2) the better results obtained and (3) the decrease
in expenditure incurred during the year. The cost varied from As. 6-3 in the
Vizagapatam district to As. 14-5 in the Cuddapah district whilst in munici
palities it varied from As. 2-5 in Cannanore to Rs. 1-2-7 in Coonoor.
10. Vaccination in municipalities.—170,382 operations were performed during
1921-22 in municipalities against 153,594 in the previous year, an increase of
16,788. There were large increases in the municipalities of Madras (+ 16,135),
Bellary (+ 4,181), Palacole (+ 1,762) and Nellore(+ 1,330) whilst there were
large falls in Madura (— 6,260) and Negapatam (— 1,294). The Assistant
Director of Public Health, Southern range, attributes the falls to the want of
genuine interest on the part of the authorities concerned and the lack of super
vision over vaccinators. Until municipalities employ trained Health Officers,
this lack of supervision is almost certain to continue.
B