NOTES AND STATISTICS ON VACCINATION IN BURMA FOR THE YEAR 1908-09.
3
Statement
III.
7. Dispensary Vaccination.—Fourteen thousand and eighty-seven persons
were vaccinated at dispensaries in 1908-09 against 19,131 in the previous year.
There was a falling off in this branch of the work of 5,044 operations. The per-
centage of successes in primary operations fell from 95.32 in 1907-08 to 94.24 in
the year under review ; in re-vaccinations, there was an increase in percentage of
success from 60.18 to 64.25. The decrease was in both primary and re-vaccina-
tions. Of the total successfully vaccinated, only 774 were children under 12
months of age. The remainder were about equally distributed between the ages
above and below six years. It is observed that this falling off in Dispensary vaccin-
ation occurred in nearly all districts, the exceptions being Bassein, Amherst, Mergui,
Toungoo, Thatôn, Salween, Mandalay, Katha, Ruby Mines and Magwe. No satis-
factory explanation is afforded of this decrease of activity. Doubtless the causes
which have already been adverted to as explaining the falling off in district vaccin-
ation apply in some degree also to the vaccination work at the dispensaries. This
fall in Dispensary vaccination is sudden, since the number of operations at dis-
pensaries had risen steadily up to the year under review. The numerical loss in
operations performed amounts to 5,044, almost equal to the decrease in the district
work of the province.
Statement
V.
Statement I.
8. Verification.—During the year under review 33,589 primary operations
and 11,311 re-vaccinations were verified by Civil Surgeons, against 47,420 primary
and 12,828 re-vaccinations in the previous year. Native Superintendents of
Vaccination verified 140,072 primary and 21,242 revaccinations against
140,550 primary and 24,917 re-vaccinations in 1907-08.
The percentage
of operations verified by Deputy Sanitary Commissioner and Civil Surgeons in
the two years 1908-09, and 1907-08, respectively was in primary cases 9.79 and
13.51 and in re-vaccinations 21.17 and 23.09. Native Superintendents verified
40.84 per cent. of primary operations and 39.75 of re-vaccinations against 40.05 and
44 85 in the previous year. The decrease in verification work performed was thus
considerable, and is in most cases unexplained. The decrease in the Meiktila
District was however, due to the Native Superintendent of Vaccination being
detained at headquarters until near the end of the year to assist in training vacci-
nators. With the exception of Meiktila, there was no falling off generally in the
work of the Native Superintendents. It is satisfactory to be able to record that the
total number of operations on infants found successful and also the total number
of persons successfully vaccinated over six years of age was larger than in the
previous year.
9. Lymph Supply: the Vaccine Depôt, Meiktila.— The vaccine lymph used
throughout the whole province, with the exception of the Rangoon Municipality,
was supplied from the Meiktila Vaccine Depôt. Lymph sufficient for 529,189
operations was issued from the depôt during the year. The issue was larger than in
the previous year, by 2,074 cases, but less than in 1906-07. The cost of manu-
facture of the vaccine paste was the same as last year, namely, 2.8 pies per case.
The greater part of the lymph issued was glycerinated, only sufficient lanoline
vaccine for 61,200 operations, and quinated vaccine for 8,295 operations being
despatched. Two hundred and seventy one calves were vaccinated against 263 in
the previous year. The total weight of vaccine pulp obtained from the calves was
greater than in previous years, being 179.2 ounces. The average yield in grains
per calf was 289.40 against 308 grains in 1906-07. The largest yield from any
one calf was 600 grains, the average quantity required for a single operation
was 0.14 grain. The Superintendent complains that at several stations there
was a great and unnecessary wastage of vaccine. Thus at the three
stations of Bogale, Kyaiklat and Danubyu 4,410 grains were received and
only 963 operations performed. At Bhamo 8,340 grains produced only 3,893
operations.
In some cases the difficulty experienced in obtaining subjects
promptly for operation is a reasonable excuse for this waste, as at Loilem and
Lashio. This excuse ought not to be put forward in settled districts such as Pyapôn
and Ma-ubin, however, and the backward condition of vaccination in those districts
is the true explanation of the wasteful use of the vaccine. Glycerinated lymph
was found to give better results than the other preparations. The post of Sup-
erintendent of the Meiktila Vaccine Depôt was filled by Major J. Entrican