4
10. Verification by the Inspecting Staff.—In 1925-26, Civil Surgeons, Assistant
Director of Public Health, Assam, and Assistant Surgeons inspected 4.08 per cent.
of the primary vaccinations and 4.23 of the re-vaccinations, as compared with 5 38
and 5.90, respectively, in 1924-25 and 5.21 and 4.37, respectively, in 1923-24. The
annual average of the triennium under report was 4.89 for primary vaccinations and
4.85 re-vaccinations as against 3.98. and 4.71, respectively, of the preceding triennium.
The percentage of primary vaccinations inspected in 1925-26 was highest in Nowgong
(17.46) followed by Manipur State (13.54) and Sadiya Frontier Tract (12.93),. In
other districts it varied from 6.75 in Garo Hills to .89 in Goalpara. As remarked
in the resolution on the last triennial report, Civil Surgeons should pay more attention .
to this part of their duties. The Assistant Director of Public Health inspected 1,548
operations only. He should have done more.
The subordinate staff inspected 38.75 per cent. of the primary operations and
38.80 per cent. of the re-vaccinations in 1925-26 as compared with 58.58 and 43.30 in
1924-25, 56.65 and 44.15 in 1923-24 and 49.36 and 46.33 the annual average of the
preceding triennium. As regards the percentage of inspections of primary operations
Khasi and Jaintia Hills district topped the list with 99.93 followed by Nowgong 80.60,
Sadiya Frontier Tract 77.31 and Lakhimpur 65.88. The districts returning low
percentages were Sibsagar 12.37, Kamrup 17.23, Lushai Hills 26.03 and Goalpara
26.07. In Sibsagar, Kamrup and Goalpara there was an epidemic of small-pox and
much opposition to vaccination and the inspecting staff were sent to persuade people
to accept vaccination and this accounts for a very low percentage of inspections.
An explanation will be obtained from members of the vaccination inspecting staff
who failed to inspect 50 per cent. of the operations performed within their jurisdiction
and if it is found to be unsatisfactory they will be suitably dealt with.
11. Vaccination in compulsory areas.—Out of 4,358 infants under one year
estimated to have been available for vaccination in Municiapl towns in which vaccina-
tion is compulsory, 1,691 or 38.80 per cent. were successfully vaccinated in 1925-26
as compared with 44.25 in 1924-25 and 45.72 in 1923-24. In 1925-26, 80 to 90 per
cent. of the infants were vaccinated in Silchar, Tezpur and Nowgong, 70 to 80 per
cent. in Shillong and Dhubri, 50 to 60 per cent. in Dibrugarh and Mangaldai and 40
to 50 per cent. in Goalpara. None were vaccinated in the Sunamganj town. The
percentage of vaccination was very low in Sylhet (2.78), Karimganj (12.66), Gauhati
(13.73), Jorhat (14.21) and Hailakandi (16.13) In all these towns with the exception
of Sunamganj and Hailakandi there is a Health Officer and this result does not reflect
credit on their work even though there is opposition on the part of parents to have
their infants vaccinated in the first year of life. If the Health Officer and the Local
Inspector or Sub-Inspector of Vaccination exerted themselves, there is no reason why
the same satisfactory results could not be achieved as in Silchar, Tezpur and Nowgong.
Under the Vaccination Act a child must be vaccinated within the first year of its life
but many parents prefer that their children should be vaccinated on completion of
one year of life. In fact no child remains unvaccinated in his or her second year in
compulsory areas.
In village areas in the district of Sibsagar, to which Vaccination Act has been
extended, 1,341 vaccination operations were performed in 1925-26 as compared with
519 in 1924-25. For these compulsory areas two permanent vaccinators were provided
by the Local Boards concerned. They ascertained the numbers of persons available
for vaccination by a house to house enquiry and served them with prescribed notices.
Those who did not comply with the notices were reported to the Magistrate. On being
warned, they submitted to vaccination in most cases. In rural compulsory areas in the
Sylhet district 2,964 operations were performed in 1925-26 as compared with 2,064 in
the previous year. In villages in which vaccination was made compulsory under
regulations framed under the Epidemic Diseases Act, large number of vaccinations
were performed but separate statistics for these areas are not yet available.
12. Vaccine Depôt.—The number of capillary tubes loaded during the year
1925-26 was 731,251 as compared with 617,855 in 1924-25 and 587,386 in 1923-24
and 605,644 the average of the preceding triennium. The number of calves inoculated
in 1925-26 was 522, lymph being taken from 456 only, the remaining 66 calves
being rejected for failure of operation in 29, illness in 13 and ulceration and unsatis-
factory vesicles in 24. The number of calves rejected was 61 in 1924-25 and 69 in
1923-24. The average number of tubes filled per calf during the year was 1,400, as
compared with 1,467 in 1924-25 and 1,115 in 1923-24. The total number of lymph
tubes issued to districts during the year was 718,628, of which 139,261 were issued by
value payable post to tea gardens, railways and Manipur State and a sum of
Rs. 8,686-12-0 was credited to Government.