NOTES ON VACCINATION IN ASSAM FOR THE YEAR
1915-1916.
1. Introductory.—The charge of the Department was held by the Hon'ble
Colonel H. E. Banatvala, I.M.S., from the beginning of the year to the end of the
month of June and by me from July to the end of the year.
2. Vaccination agencies.—Vaccination was performed among the general popula-
tion by 303 departmental vaccinators and on tea gardens by garden medical officers.
Medical officers of jails, railways and of dispensaries in certain districts also performed
vaccination operations within their respective jurisdictions. The average number of
persons vaccinated by each vaccinator during the year was 961 against 907 of the
preceding year.
3. Total number of operations.—The number of vaccination operations performed
by all agencies in 1915-1916 was 312,398 as compared with 320,016 of the year 1914-
1915, showing a decrease of 6,719 in the primary operations and 899 in revaccina-
tions. The variations in district returns are noted in section 8 of this report. It is
probable that this apparent decrease is due to greater strictness and better supervision
leading to more accurate returns being obtained from one or two large districts in
which it appears that falsification of returns had in the past been considerable.
The total performed by different agencies is shown as follows :—
291,107 by departmental vaccinators, 1,683 by the staff of dispensaries, 17,009 by
tea garden agencies, 2,173 by jail and lunatic asylum agencies, and 426 by railway
medical officers.
4. Deaths from small-pox.—The ratio of deaths from small-pox during the year
1915 was .58 per mille of population, against .37 in 1914. The highest rate, 3.10,
was reported from the district of Kamrup. This district during the last five years has
been reporting the highest rate of any district in the province and it plays a large
part in maintaining the provincial small-pox mortality at a high level. The next
highest rates, 1.22 and 1.07, were reported from the districts of Sibsagar and Goalpara,
respectively. In these two districts, vaccination was pushed in the off-season to check
an outbreak of small-pox. As a result of this measure, the revaccinations in the
district of Sibsagar increased from 2,593 in 1914-15 to 7,894 in 1915-16, but no such
increase is reported from Goalpara where the work has been unsatisfactory. The
diagram showing death-rates from small-pox and the protection afforded by successful
vaccination is attached.
5. Dispensary vaccination.—As compared with 2,209 persons in 1914-15, 1,683
persons were vaccinated in dispensaries in the districts of Nowgong, Naga Hills, Lushai
Hills, Garo Hills and in the State of Manipur during the year.
6. Percentage of successful operations.—The percentage of success in the vacci-
nation operations performed by the combined establishments was 96.63 for primary
vaccinations and 62.29 for revaccinations, as compared with 96.22 and 68.69,
respectively, in 1914-15.
The percentage of success in primary vaccinations and revaccinations in the case
of vaccinators were 96.74 and 61.69, respectively, against 96.29 and 68.00, respectively,
in 1914-15. In the case of the dispensary staff they were 94.31 and 70.13, respec-
tively, against 92.14 and 58.76, respectively, in 1914-15 ; and in the case of other
agencies they were 95.02 and 66.63, respectively, against 95.47 and 79.80, respectively,
in 1914-15.
7. Different methods of vaccination.—As in previous years glycerinated vaccine
manufactured by the Shillong Vaccine Depôt was exclusively used in all operations.
8. Vaccination work in different districts.—Out of twelve districts, and the
Native State of Manipur, there was an increase in two districts, a decrease in four and
in the remaining districts there was practically no change, as compared with the
records of work of the year 1914-15. The increase of 4,586 cases of revaccinations
in the district of Sibsagar was due to the continuance of vaccination in the off-season
to deal with an outbreak of small-pox in the district. It appears that the district is
not well protected, and proposals for increasing the number of vaccinators for next
vaccination season are now under consideration. Two vaccinators in this district were
dismissed, one for extorting fees to which he was not entitled, and the other for falsify-
ing his returns. The increase of 2,764 operations in the district of Darrang is satis-
factory and is due to the personal efforts of the Civil Surgeon, Major J. W.
McCoy, I. M.S. Besides the ordinary routine followed in carrying on vaccination the Civil