FOR THE YEARS 1920-21 TO 1922-23.
5
Extension of Vaccination, extended to these districts in 1916 has worked
well and in view of their position surrounding Rangoon, which, as
pointed out by Colonel Williams in the triennial report for 1914-15
to 1916-17, is the main portal of small pox in this province, it is
worthy of consideration whether the Vaccination Acts of 1880 and
1909 should not be extended to those two districts forthwith.
Including steamer vaccinations (18, 143) the number of operations
performed in Rangoon in 1922-23 was 46,606—primary 27,631 and
revaccinations 18,975—as against 34,748 in 1920-21 and 42,765 in
1921-22. The number of successful cases was 15,2 7, an increase of
4,192 and 2,659 respectively, as compared with the figures for 1920-21
and 1921-22. The Health Officer reports that house to house inspec-
tion throughout Rangoon is being carried out in all congested
quarters and cooly barracks to find out hidden cases of small-pox and
that an educational campaign is being carried on both by Newspapers
and Cinema advertisements. He points out with great truth that in
the absence of legal powers to compulsorily revaccinate, no perfect
protection against small pox is possible. This has been the universal
experience throughout the world. Primary vaccination and re-
vaccination are our safeguards against small-pox and for the complete
cessation of the disease the latter is as necessary as the former. In
the stress of a great epidemic, fear is the stimulus which drives
people to be revaccinated, but when all susceptible people have been
attacked and the disease has disappeared to wait its next opportunity,
this fear is too quickly forgotten and nothing less than compulsion
will overcome the indolence and apathy that develops in its place.
Pegu Division.—This division recorded in 1922-23 an increase in
vaccination operations as compared with any of the previous five years.
Tharrawaddy and Toungoo showed increase while Pegu, Prome and
Thayetmyo have lately registered a fall
The increase in the former
districts was mainly in revaccination which in Tharrawaddy rose to
10,976 as against 4,475 in 1921-22, while the primary operations fell
from 20,325 in 1921-22 to 18,349 in 1922-23. In Toungoo also there
was a decline in primary cases. None of the towns in Tharrawaddy
district employ their own Vaccinators. All depend on District Vacci-
nators and Dispensary Sub-Assistant Surgeons. The figures furnished
appear to indicate that infants are well protected in these towns but
as pointed out in the Public Health Administration report, birth
registration is very defective, a fact which accounts for the numerous
deaths among children under 10 years in the recent small-pox outbreak.
The Civil Surgeon reports that in Minhla, Zigôn and Nattalin no
rules have yet been framed for the working of the Vaccination Act
which was introduced in 1915, and that nothing has as yet been done
to extend the Act to the towns of Tharrawaddy and Sitkwin.
Irrawaddy Division.—This division recorded the largest increase
in primary operations for the triennium, Myaungmva and Pyapôn
contributing the highest figures. Bassein district has returned the
lowest number of primary operations for many years, and the Civil
Surgeon remarks that the decrease chiefly in Thabaung. Ngaputaw
and Kyaunggôn townships was due to the absence of small pox.
The district as a whole has kept up its reputation for the best re-
vaccination work in the division.