6
to be met with. Probably, these are now more difficult to obtain. As regards
the interference of cholera epidemics with vaccination work, it is hoped that with
the additional Health Inspectors recently recruited, the necessity for deputing
vaccinators for preventive work will not ordinarily arise. The attention of
Government is once more drawn to the repeated failure of local bodies to fill up
temporary vacancies in the vaccination staff. No difficulty would exist in getting
qualified men for either temporary or permanent vacancies, if local bodies
offered suitable salaries. A decline in the incidence of smallpox is not an accept
able excuse for reduction in vaccination operations. All Health Officers should
constantly remind their subordinate staffs of the importance of a regular re-vaccina
tion campaign.
(2) Excluding the Nilgiris district, where the rate of successful vaccina
tions per mille of population was 110.5, the rates in other districts varied from
25.2 in South Arcot to 38.2 in Salem and 39.4 in the Agency. Compared with
the previous year, only six districts registered an increase, the most important
being the Nilgiris (+39.0), Rāmnād (+7.3) and Salem (+5.1). The largest
decrease was recorded in Bellary district ( — 6.6).
(3) The improvement in infantile vaccinations compared with the previous
triennium is also well marked.
No. of successful
infantile vaccinations,
Triennium ending 1922-23 ...
Do.
1925-26 ...
1920-21
1921-22
1922-23
1923-24
1924-25
1925-26
304,661
368,167
378,711
492,644*
572,201
584,137
*First year of
District Health
Scheme.
The percentage of successful infantile vaccinations in 1925-26 to total
registered births varied from 28.8 in Nellore to 75.1 in Trichinopoly. These large
variations show that there is still great room for improvement. Compared with
the previous year, ten districts recorded a decrease and fourteen an increase. The
decreases were most marked in Bellary ( — 15.7), Anantapur and Vizagapatam
(—8.6), Chittoor ( —6.8) and Malabar ( — 6.7). The largest increases were
registered in Kistna (+ 39.4), Rāmnād (+ 18.3), Trichinopoly (+14.6), and
Gōdāvari (+11.4).
Details of infantile vaccination rates for individual districts during the
triennium are embodied in Annexure A to this report.
14. (1) Vaccination in Municipalities.—The total number of operations
performed in the eighty-one municipalities during the triennium under review
was 608,593, an increase of 81,510 on the previous three years. Statistics for
individual years are given in the following statement:—
Triennium ending 1922-23
...
...
Do.
1925-26 ... ...
1920-21
1921-22
1922-23
1923-24
1924-25
1925-26
153,594
170,382
203,107
185,967
239,430
183,196
527,083.
608,593.
The numerous outbreaks of smallpox during 1922-23 and 1924-25 explain
the increases in vaccine operations recorded for these years. A yearly average of
185,000 operations for the municipal population of 3.1 millions may be taken as a
reasonable minimum. The more this figure is exceeded, however, the better the
protection conferred on the community, and it is not suggested that Health
Officers should be satisfied with any minimum. The large decrease of about 56,000
cases in the year under review, as compared with 1924-25, almost entirely explains
the decrease in the grand total for the Presidency.
Compared with 1924-25, thirty-three municipalities returned increases in
the number of operations performed in 1925-26, whilst forty-eight recorded
decreases. The chief instances in the former group are Vizianagram (+ 1,921),
Cannanore (+ 1,278), Salem (+ 920), Berhampur (+ 762), Anakāpalle, Cochin,