2
NOTES AND STATISTICS ON VACCINATION IN BURMA FOR THE YEAR 1920-21.
Pegu Division.—Pegu District returned an increase of 4,179 primary and 615
re-vaccinations, and Prome District 2,718 primary and 1,176 re-vaccinations.
Tharrawaddy District returned a deficit of 3,624 primary cases, but re-vaccination
increased by 1,918 cases. Insein District returned a deficit of 3,166 under both
classes of operations and Rangoon Town 19,823. The deficit of 19,684 in the
number of re-vaccinations (12,281 performed during the year in Rangoon as
against 31,965 in the preceding year) was due to the absence of any serious
outbreak of small-pox in this city.
Irrawaddy Division.—Myaungmya returned an increase of 2,506 primary
operations, Pyapôn 1,977, and Bassein 1,532, while Ma-ubin and Henzada Districts
record a falling off in primary vaccination of 253 and 1,061 respectively.
Myaungmya District returns an increase of 1,279 re-vaccinations. The decline in
the Ma-ubin District was due to a deficiency of vaccination work in the towns of
Ma-ubin and Yandoon caused by the prevalence of plague and that in the Henzada
District to shortness of staff.
Tenasserim Division.— Amherst District headed the list with an increase of
16,495 cases (5,255 primary and 11,240 re-vaccinations) followed by Thatôm Dis-
trict with an increase of 10,977 (primary 5,361 and re-vaccination 5,616). A
general outbreak of small-pox on the one hand, and the efficient supervision
exercised over the vaccinators on the other led to a largely increased outturn in
these two districts. Tavoy District shows an increase of 337, and Mergui District
a deficit of 648 primary operations. In both districts small-pox was practically
absent, whereas it had been very prevalent in Mergui during the previous
years.
Mandalay Division.—Owing to the abolition of the Ruby Mines District in this
Division the Supervisor of Vaccination and two vaccinators were placed under the
charge of the Civil Surgeon, Katha, and their work is included in the returns of
the Katha District. The work of State vaccinator of Möng-Mit State is likewise
included in the returns of the Northern Shan States. With the exception of
Bhamo, the outturn of work recorded in districts in this division shows a deficit of
20,617 operations, due to less prevalence of small-pox. In the Mandalay District
the largest deficit of 15,265 cases is contributed by Mandalay Municipality and
Maymyo Subdivision. The work in rural areas shows an increase of 6,368 cases.
Katha District returned a decrease of 2,067 primary operations with an increase
of 1,667 re-vaccinations. Myitkyina showed a decrease of 1,696 cases, while
Bhamo returned an increase of 1,269 (primary 1,075 and re-vaccination 194).
No vaccination was done in the Putao District during the year.
Sagaing Division.—In this division excluding Chin Hills there was a deficit
of 7,945 primary and 12,587 re-vaccinations due to the general absence of small-
pox. The decrease in the Upper Chindwin District was considerable, vis. 6,645
primary and 3,373 re-vaccinations. Lower Chindwin District returned a decrease
of 2,208 primary operations attributed to migration of householders owing to
scarcity, but an increase of 5,026 re-vaccinations consequent on the occurence
of sporadic cases of small-pox The decrease of 2,498 operations in Shwebo,
and 11,742 in the Sagaing District was confined to re-vaccination work only. A
cataclysmal decline from 4,737 primary operations in 1919-20 to 1,457 in the year
under review is observed in the returns for the Chin Hills. This was apparently
due to continued illness of the two vaccinators employed, and also to the third
appointment in the district remaining vacant throughout the year for lack of a
suitable candidate.
Magwe Division.—In this division Minbu District alone returned an increase
over the previous year's outturn of 1,669 operations, 1,674 of these being primary
vaccinations. The large deficit (2,640 primary and 2,464 re-vaccinations) returned
by the Thayetmyo District was attributed to the absence of some vaccinators on
sick leave and to small-pox having been less prevalent than during last year.
Pakôkku District returned a small increase of 121 primary cases with a large
decrease of 26,694 in re-vaccination work. In this district there was a wide-
spread small-pox epidemic in the previous year. resulting in an abnormal
out-turn of vaccination work. The decrease in the Magwe District (1,552 primary
and 138 re-vaccinations) was due to several vaccinators being absent on sick leave.