TRIENNIAL REPORT
ON
VACCINATION IN BURMA
FOR THE YEARS 1917-18 TO 1919-20.
1. General Review of Vaccination Work.— In reviewing the triennium 1914-
15 to 1916-17, Lieutenant-Colonel Williams remarked that the three main factors
which stimulate Vaccination work in Burma are :—
(1) Outbreaks of epidemic Small-pox.
(2) Improved organization, etc., of District Staffs.
(3) Increased interest shown by District, Municipal and village officers.
During the triennium just closed, factor No. (2) has been absent—almost the
whole of the ordinary Sanitary Staff of the Province has been lacking and
supervision was not normal. On the other hand, factors (1) and (3) were present: in
my experience the two are generally found together, rarely apart; consequently
as two out of the three factors were present, we should expect to find an increase
in the numbers vaccinated and such is the case. Primary vaccinations increased
by 120,717, re-vaccinations by 285,196.
The districts showing the greatest increase in primary vaccination in 1919-
20 are—Thatôn 19,500, Northern Shan States 17,443, Bassein 14,435, Amherst
14,090, Henzada 13,129, Myaungmya 11,922, Yamèthin 9,540.
The most serious failing off occurred in Southern Shan States 17,161,
Myingyan 6,945, Akyab 5,994, Prome 3,605, Ruby Mines 2,286.
In re-vaccinations Yamèthin heads the list with 159,622 cases followed by
Pakôkku 35,351, Rangoon 31,965, Mandalay 25,920, Sagaing 19,202.
Taking the Province by Divisions the chief noticeable points during the
triennium have been as follows :—
Arakan.—There has been practically no increase in primary, and little in
re-vaccination during the triennium. The Division has been almost altogether
free from small-pox ; the stimulus which existed in so many other divisions has
been lacking.
Pegu Division—Shows an increase of 17,069 primary cases, but a decrease
of 35,431 re-vaccinations. In Prome the decrease has been 3,605 primary and
14,426 re-vaccinations, but no satisfactory explanation has been given. The
matter is being enquired into. There was no Supervisor for nine months during
1919-20. Re-vaccinations in Rangoon fell by 25,503, but this is accounted for by
the small number of coolies coming to Rangoon during the later years of the
war.
Irrawaddy Division.—There has been a very satisfactory increase
amounting to 50,830 in primary and 15,713 in re-vaccinations. This has been
shared by all districts, but Bassein shows the largest increase. As one might
expect, small-pox was prevalent in the division causing 634 deaths in 1919-20.
Tenasserim Division.—There was an increase of 40,157 primary and 11,518
re-vaccinations. All the districts share in the increase except Tavoy where there
was a falling off in primary vaccinations of 1,847 and in re-vaccination of 186.
The incidence of small-pox in Tavoy was slight, being confined to a few imported
cases. The falling off appears partly due to lack of a Supervisor who was on
sick leave.
Mandalay Division.—With the exception of Katha and Ruby Mines, all the
districts show a small increase in primary cases, but there has been no large
amount of re-vaccination done except in Mandalay itself—where 45,069 cases were
re-vaccinated. A severe outbreak of small-pox in Mandalay Town and district
provided the necessary stimulus.