6
TRIENNIAL REPORT ON VACCINATION IN BURMA FOR THE YEAR 1914-15 TO 1916-17.
proves on inspection to be creditably performed, it probably owns, its relative
immunity mainly to good vaccination work. In Meiktila District the highest
total of primary vaccinations was returned for 1911-12, and there has been a
steady annual decline since, in spite of outbreaks of small-pox in 1912 and 1913
In Yamèthin District there has been a slight falling off in primary operations
during the last three years. Lack of supervision may even be a not less potent
factor in some of these Upper Burma districts than the non-prevalence of small-
pox in reducing the outturn of vaccination. In my experience the people only
require a visit by and a little moral suasion from a superior Government official
to bring them to accept the operation for their children readily enough.
Specially administered areas.—An increase of 2,551 primary operations and
of 2,855 revaccinations is returned for the Northern Shan States District. This
increase accrued wholly in the last year of the triennium, and is dependent upon
the radical reorganization of the vaccination establishment and of the system
for its control which was introduced in the previous year, but only began to
produce a marked result in 1916-17. This improvement is wholly due to the
great personal interest taken in vaccination by the Superintendent, Northern
Shan States, Mr. H. A. Thornton, C.I.E., I.C.S , and his Assistant Political Officers,
under whose fostering care the new scheme promises to produce very gratifying
results.
In the Southern Shan States there is a decrease of 4,172 primary operations
and an increase of 3,206 revaccinations. Recent enquiry by the Civil Surgeon,
Taunggyi, has shown grave deficiencies in the work of the Vaccination staff in
recent years, and has confirmed my previous doubts as to the reliability of their
returns. The establishment is undergoing gradual reorganization, and future
work will be greatly assisted by the recent addition to the Civil Surgeon's office
staff of a sanitary clerk who will be largely employed in working up and
systematizing the vaccination returns, which have recently been neglected and
fallen into a state of confusion. The chief weakness in the system is, as
elsewhere, the lack of reliable supervision, which is largely dependent upon the
great size of the district and the inaccessibility to the Civil Surgeon of all those
states which are outside a relatively small radius of Headquarters. Vaccination
is most advanced in the more populous and accessible Western states.
Chin Hills.—The returns for the last triennium show an increase of 1,263
primary operations and a decrease of 66 revaccinations, on those of the earlier
period—vaccination is on the whole progressive in this district. At the instance
of the Superintendent, Chin Hills, the employment as vaccinators of several peons
who accompany the Assistant Political Officers on tour has recently been
approved, and will, it is expected, lead to an increase in the number of operations
performed annually.
4. Vaccination work in towns in 1916-17 compared with that of 1915-16.—
Thirty-five towns return an increase in the number of primary operations
performed ; 21 towns a decrease on the work of the previous year. The
percentage increase is conspicuous in the case of Yenangyaung (213 per cent.),
Wakèma (201 per cent.), Sagaing (133 per cent.), Taungdwingyi (136 per cent.),
Paungdè (111 per cent.), Akyab (68 per cent.), Meiktila (60 per cent.), Mergui (75
per cent.), Bhamo(51 per cent.), Zigôn (53 per cent.), Nattalin (54 per cent.)
Thônzè (45 per cent.), Shwegyin (46 per cent.), Nyaunglebin (42 per cent.),
Gyobingauk (41 per cent.), Kawkareik (41 per cent.), Myaungmya (26 per cent.),
Useful progress was also made in the towns of Allanmyo (23 per cent.), Insein
(20 per cent.), Prome (17 per cent.), Toungoo (15 per cent.), and Rangoon (14 per
cent).
Rather large decreases are observed in the returns of the following towns,
viz. Thatôn (47.43 per cent.), Sandoway (38.74 per cent.), Ngathaingyaung (34
per cent.), Letpadan (25.13 per cent.), Pyinmana (28.85 per cent.), Yamèthin
(25.86 per cent.), Yandoon (20.98 per cent.), Pyapôn (12.40 per cent.), Tavoy
(16.52 per cent).
Revaccination.—A return of 75,956 revaccinations performed in towns,
during 1916-17, shows an increase of 76.98 per cent. on the outturn of the
previous year. Thirteen towns out of fifty-seven return either none, or less than
10 revaccinations, against fifteen towns in 1915-16. A large increase in
revaccination was shown by Rangoon, Prome, Paungdè, Pyapôn, Moulmein,
Mergui, Toungoo, Mandalay, Sagaing, Minbu, and Salin. The towns of
Tharrawaddy District return practically no revaccinations for the last year under
report.
Ratio of successful cases.—The percentage ratio of success in primary
vaccination for 57 towns in 1916-17 was 98.30 against 94.94 in the previous year,
and in revaccination 68.69 against 46.71. Many towns claim 100 per cent.
success in primary vaccination. The low success ratios of 83.91 per cent. and
87.86 per cent. in primary vaccination are returned by Pegu and Kyaikto towns,
respectively.