NOTES AND STATISTICS
ON
VACCINATION IN BURMA
FOR THE YEAR 1914-15.
Statement
II.
1. Establishment.—The number of Native Superintendents excluding 2 Sub-
Assistant Surgeons, employed during the year was 48.
The permanent staff of Vaccinators was increased by 2, from 278 to 280.
The two additional appointments were to Municipal Vaccination Establishments.
There was an increase of one District vaccinator in Toungoo District and a
decrease of one in Ruby Mines District.
A temporary vaccinator was employed for six months in Salween District
during the dry season of 1914-15.
A scheme for the revision of the Northern Shan States Vaccination Establish-
ment was sanctioned during the year under review. This provided for the
abolition of the two appointments of Native Superintendent of Vaccination and
for the increase of the staff of vaccinators from 8 to 10. This scheme comes into
force from the commencement of the current official year.
An additional vaccinator has been sanctioned for Mergui District from the
same date.
2. Punishments.—One Native Superintendent was dismissed for fraudulent
conduct. Ten vaccinators, including one temporary employe, were either
dismissed or removed from the service for fraud, falsification of diaries, negligence,
or other serious faults.
Statement I.
3. Work performed during the year.—The total of operations reported as
performed during the year was 469,471 against 512,801 in 1913-14, a decrease
of 43,330.
Primary operations totalled 404,008 or 18,596 less than in the preceding
year.
Revaccinations amounted to 65,463, a decrease of 24,734.
The decrease in revaccinations, 24,734, accounts for the major part of the
total diminution in the work performed. This decrease was undoubtedly a result
of the general freedom from small-pox of nearly every district in the Province
throughout the year. In districts where small-pox outbreaks occurred, as in the
Northern Shan States there was an increase in the number of revaccinations
performed.
The decrease in primary operations, 18,596, was also in a large measure due
to the lack of the stimulus which the presence of small-pox always supplies.
Thus, in Kyaukpyu District alone, the decrease in primary operations amounted to
13,114, or more than two-thirds of the whole deficiency. The districts of the
Pegu Division show a falling off in primary operations of 5,965, Tharrawaddy
District alone showing a considerable improvement on the previous year's returns,
of 1,064 operations. In the Irrawaddy Division there was a small increase of 7,
and in the Tenasserim Division of 5,189 primary operations. In Upper Burma,
Mandalay Division shows an increase of 3,078 primary operations, and Sagaing
Division one of 453. A decrease of 5,265 and 1,268 primary operations is returned
by Magwe and Meiktila Divisions, respectively. The Southern Shan States
return an increase of 6,272 primary operations, the Northern Shan States a
decrease of 1,363, and the Chin Hills one of 1,417.
Of greater interest and importance however than the record of total operations
performed is that of operations reported successful, especially of primary opera-
tions. The report of results obtained still remains of very uncertain value in
most districts, owing to the lack of an adequate staff of superior inspecting
officers to check the returns made by the native employes.
Statement I.
4. Successful operations.—The successful primary operations reported totalled
365,471 in 1914-15, against 388,746, a decrease of 23,275. The number of
successful revaccinations was 34,584, a decrease of 17,510 on the returns of the
previous year.
Several districts report a creditable increase in successful primary operations.
Of the plains districts Toungoo is first with an increase of 3,042, followed by
Mandalay with 1,649, Hanthawaddy with 1,605, Thayetmyo 1,360, Sagaing 1,316,
Tharrawaddy 1,106, Prome 1,019. The Southern Shan States return an increase
of 4,394 primary successes.
A large decrease in successful primary operations is returned by Kyaukpyu
District, 12,651, Pegu 5,691, Pakôkku 4,935, Akyab 4,832, Sandoway 2,710,
Magwe 2,373, Minbu 1,490, Mergui 1,099, Shwebo 1,040, Meiktila 1,072, Northern
Shan States 1,060.