8
TRIENNIAL REPORT ON VACCINATION IN BURMA
In Bhamo the work was not systematized and the Vaccinators were left
much to their own devices without any programme. The Civil
Surgeon is remedying this defect.
North-West
Border Division.—The
general decrease in the
triennium was mainly in, revaccination, Pakôkku and Sagaing together
accounting for a deficit of 37,324 operations. There were fewer
primary operations in the Ruby Mines subdivision and Upper Chin-
dwin districts, but the slight fall in Lower Chindwin in primary vacci-
nation has been obscured by the record number of revaccinations
performed there in the triennium. In Shwebo, Sagaing and Lower
Chindwin districts, the activities of the village Wunthanu Athins
are said to be at the bottom of the difficulty experienced in getting
together as large a number of children for vaccination as in the past. A
Vaccinator of Mônywa joined this Association while on leave and went
about collecting subscriptions and obstructing vaccination. He was
dismissed. In spite of antagonistic influences the common sense and
spirit of co-operation of the people in anti-epidemic measures have
prevailed. Vaccination is nowhere seriously objected to in these
three districts and its beneficial effects are thoroughly understood,
though trivial excuses for postponement are now and again produced,
more as a matter of principle than from any real desire to forego its
benefits. In the Chin Hills, owing to the interest taken by
Mr. L. B. Naylor, Subdivisional Officer, vaccination has become
popular in Tiddim subdivision ; elsewhere people in the neighbour-
hood of towns appreciate it while those in remote villages decline.
The Shans and Kadus in Katha district are stated to accept vaccina-
tion readily.
5. Dispensary Vaccination.—The number of persons vaccinated
at dispensaries was less in this triennium by 3,716 than in the previous
one, but if we exclude the figure for 1919-20, when abnormal con-
ditions prevailed owing to an extensive spread of small pox, the number
returned for each of the years in the. triennium is much in excess of
any previous year. More than half the number were performed by
the Sub-Assistant Surgeons on escort duty in Myitkyina district.
They vaccinated 2,311 persons in 1920-21, 4,921 in 1921-22 and 755 in
1922-23. Other districts from which a large number of dispensary
vaccinations were returned in 1922-23 are:—Tharrawaddy. Ma-ubin,
Bassein, Pakôkku, Upper Chindwin, Bhamo and Northern Shan States.
Cases primarily vaccinated in the triennium numbered 8,500 with a
success rate of 98.75 against a previous 10,810 with a success of 89.12;
and those revaccinated 6,183 (successful 59.00) against 7,589 (success-
ful 61.74).
6. Revaccinations.—The number of operations performed on this
account in the triennium was 524,326 a decrease of 31,959 of this
number 241,894 or 46 per cent. were successful. This figure was
greatly in excess of that returned for the three previous triennial
periods except the last. In 1922-23 revaccinations comprised a
quarter of the total operations, and of this about 70 per cent. were
returned from rural areas and 30 per cent. from urban areas. Akyab
district alone accounted for more than the total of Irrawaddy. Tenas-
serim, Border or Frontier Division and for nearly as many as Rangoon
or Pegu division. Other districts in which many revaccinations were