NOTES AND STATISTICS ON VACCINATION IN BURMA FOR THE YEAR 1914—15.
3
Act has been in force since 1892. A glance at the table in Appendix statement
" B " reveals to some extent the condition of vaccination in these three towns.
In Ma-ubin out of 136 infant survivors of births during the year only 76 were
successfully vaccinated, in Yandoon out of 153 survivors only 68, and in Danubyu
106 out of 149. In this district vaccination in rural areas has reached a stage of
relatively very high efficiency as contrasted with other districts, while urban
vaccination has apparently suffered neglect.
Appendix B.
7. Vaccination of infants.—The
statistics given in the table Appendix
statement "B" show that, against 20,108 surviving infants, 20,136 infants were
successfully vaccinated. The excess over the number of available survivors has
been explained in previous annual reports as due to defective registration of births,
and in the case of some towns to immigration of infants born outside
In the year
under review several towns show an excess of infants vaccinated over survivors of
registered births which may be referred to the former explanation, viz., Rangoon,
excess 541, Mandalay 671, Bassein 193. Fifteen other towns show an excess
of operations over survivors which may be due to either of the causes
suggested above, but in most cases to the latter. In the Annual Report on Sani-
tation in Burma for the year 1914 I pointed out that the low birth-rate recorded for
Pyinmana (24.09 and 25.69 when corrected for sex difference of population) was
only to be, explained by inefficient registration, and the fact elicited from Statement
"B" that 468 infants were successfully vaccinated against 195 survivors of registered
births, or an excess of 273, strongly substantiates that opinion. There are however
some serious deficiencies. Myaungmya town returns only 17 successful operations
on infants, out of 86 surviving registered infants available, Thôngwa 80 out of a
possible 181, Syriam 104 out of 201, Wakèma 59 out of 151. Other towns showing
a large balance of unvaccinated infants are Henzada 242,Thatôn 208, Prome 170,
Sagaing 112, Akyab 76, Kyangin 84, Letpadan and Yenangyaung each 56,
Maymyo 60, Ngathainggyaung 66. Postponement of vaccination is too often
granted without due discretion and often by the vaccinator himself without refer-
ence to the Local Superintendent of Vaccination to whom such cases should
always be referred for decision.
Statement V.
8. Verification.—Out
of 404,258 primary operations performed by town and
district staffs, Civil Surgeons verified 17.22 per cent. and Native Superintendents
of Vaccination 54.68 per cent. against 14.61 per cent. and 52.68 per cent. in
1913-14. The actual number inspected by Civil Surgeons was 69,630 and by
Native Superintendents of Vaccination 221,030, the corresponding figures for
1913-14 being 62,177 and 224,163. Greater activity was thus shown by Civil
Surgeons and rather less by the Native Superintendents than in the previous year.
The result of verification by Civil Surgeons was a success rate of 92.98 per cent.
and by Native Superintendents of 93.52 per cent. against 94.93 per cent. by the
vaccinators.
Statement
II.
9. Cost of the Department. -- The total cost of the Department in 1914-15, was
Rs. 2,06,269 against Rs. 2,04,873 in the previous year, an increase of Rs. 1,396.
Of this total expenditure the pay of Establishment amounted to Rs 1,34,545,
and Travelling Allowance to Rs. 62,932-5-0, the former being in excess of
expenditure in the previous year by Rs. 6,632, and the latter a reduction of
Rs. 303-3-6.
Under the head of Contingencies the cost was Rs. 8,791, a reduction of
Rs. 4,933, on the previous year's expenditure.
Statement
II.
10. Average cost per successful operation.—The
average cost for each
successful operation for the whole Province was 8 annas 5 pies, against 7 annas
6 pies in 1913-14
The cost varied in different districts between 3 annas and 8 pies in Katha
District (9,437 successful operations) to Re. 1-9-2 in the Chin Hills. Generally
the districts returning the largest number of operations show the least average
cost. Tharrawaddy shows 19,058 successful operations at a cost of Re. 0-4-0
per case, Myingyan 13,076 at Re. 0-4-3 and Sagaing 17,899, Re. 0-4-5. The
average cost in Bassein District was Re. 0-5-4, Magwe Re. 0-5-5, Lower Chindwin
Re. 0-5-8, Ma-ubin Re. 0-5-9, Toungoo Re. 0-5-11, Minbu Re. 0-5-11, Akyab
Re. 0-6-1, Pakôkku Re. 0-6-3, Amherst Re. 0-6-4, Henzada Re. 0-6-10.
An exceptionally high average cost was returned by the Chin Hills Re. 1-9-2,
Ruby Mines District Re. 1-8-7, Northern Shan States Re. 1-0-5. Several other
districts return an excessive cost, Bhamo Re. 0-15-2, Sandoway Re. 0-14-5,
Insein Re. 0-13-10. The higher cost in Hanthawaddy and Insein Districts is due
to a more numerous staff of Native Superintendents and the higher pay of the
vaccinators, which has hitherto not resulted in a corresponding outturn of
successful work. In Sandoway the high cost was due to the poor work performed.
Statement.
III.
11. Dispensary Vaccination.—The total operations performed in dispensaries
in 1914-15 was 3,096 against 5,667 in the previous year, there being a decrease of
2,571 cases. Of this decrease 1,857 were primary and 714 revaccination operations.