2
NOTES AND STATISTICS ON VACCINATION IN BURMA FOR THE YEAR 1915-16.
Magwe Division.—Against a total decrease of 807 successful primary
operations, Pakôkku District declares an increase of 2,016. The deficit is made
up by Thayetmyo District (1,061), Minbu District (770) and Magwe District (992).
Meiktila Division.—There was a decrease in successful primary operations
in three districts, amounting in the aggregate to 2,054. In Kyauksè District the
decrease was only 5, in Yamèthin District 1,450 and in Myingyan District 783.
Meiktila District returns an increase of 184.
Shan States.—The Northern Shan States returns an increase of 728
successful primary operations, under the new scheme of working instituted during
the year, which has not yet had time to produce its full results. In the Southern
Shan States there was a deficit of 7,923 successful primary operations. This
material decrease from the work shown for the previous twelve months is mainly,
I believe, due to the cessation of the vaccination campaign which was carried out
during 1914-15 by a posse of vaccinators in the more accessible areas of the
States, where direct supervision by superior officials could be more readily given
on a sufficient scale. The exhaustion of the material available in those areas left
less opportunity for work there during the year under report, and the method could
not be applied as effectively in other areas.
Chin Hills.—An increase of 761 successful primary operations, about 75 per
cent. of the returns of the previous year, shows that an appreciable degree of
progress was made during 1915-16 in areas which owing to the scattered character
of the population and their low state of civilization, combined with the smallness
of the staff employed, present peculiar difficulties to the popularization of the
operation.
Statement I.
5. Revaccination.—This operation, though holding a high place in perfecting
the prophylaxis against small-pox of civilized populations, is relatively an unim-
portant issue in the survey of vaccination in Burma. It is in all areas voluntary
among the free population, though compulsory in jails. Only under the stress of a
serious outbreak of small-pox is it resorted to by any considerable numbers of the.
population. In the year under report every district shows a decline in the number
of revaccinations except Pegu Divisi00, where there was a large increase of 7,537
successful revaccinations in Rangoon City, and Meiktila Division, which returns an
increase of 1,480 in Yamèthin District, in both instances the prevalence of small-
pox being the direct cause of the rise in the number of the operations.
Statement I.
6. Credit is due to the vaccination staffs of all districts in Pegu and Irrawaddy
Divisions, and of Amherst, Tavoy and Thatôn districts of the Tenasserim Division,
in Lower Burma, and of Shwebo, Lower Chindwin, and Pakôkku districts in
Upper Burma, for increasing their output of successful work, or maintaining it at
the previous satisfactory level, during the year under review. It will be noticed
that the deficit in Lower Burma districts was inconsiderable in any district other
than Kyaukpyu (1,125) and Toungoo (1,214). In Upper Burma districts a
serious decrease is noted in Katha, Myitkyina, Sagaing, Yamèthin, Myingyan,
Thayetmyo, Magwe and Minbu districts. In addition to the indifference to the
benefits ensuing from vaccination which invariably accompanies the freedom from
prevalent small-pox among rural populations, these districts have been subjected
to deterring influence of widespread cholera outbreaks, which in Upper Burma
especially are antagonistic to the progress of the voluntary vaccination propaganda.
This latter influence is advanced by several surgeons, and I think correctly, as
an explanation of the falling off in the work of their vaccination staffs. In several
districts the vaccinators had to be employed for one or two months to help in
suppressing cholera. In addition to these deterrent influences there has to be
taken into account the disturbing effect of the frequent changes of district medical
officers which have been necessitated by the demands made upon the civil
medical staff of the Province by the military services owing to the continuance of
the war. When allowance has been made for the above cited disabilities to the
maintenance of the work of the Vaccination Department, I am of opinion that the
year's record for Lower Burma and for some districts in Upper Burma is one of
the most satisfactory that it has fallen to me to review during the past nine years.
Statement
III.
7. Dispensary vaccination. — The total number of persons vaccinated was
4,477. An increase of 1,393 on the previous year's record. Of this increase
1,145 were primary and 248 revaccinations. In successful primary operations
there was an increase of 1,026, and in revaccinations of 430.
8. Fail vaccination.—These operations are not shown in either of the state-
ments in the appendix. The total operations numbered 26,175 against 26,475 in
1914-15, and successful operations 16,455 against 17,765. The percentage of
successes was primary 70.67, revaccinations 62.17.
Statement
V.
9. verification.—Out of 394,791 persons subjected to primary vaccination by
all the agencies, civil surgeons and other superior inspecting officers verified