Proceedings of His Honour the Officiating Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab in the Home (Medical and Sanitary)
Department, No. 1070 S., dated 21st July 1911.
READ—
Report on Vaccination in the Punjab for the year 1910-11, by Major E. WILKINSON,
F.R.C.S., I.M.S., Sanitary Commissioner, Punjab.
REMARKS.—The present report deals with the progress of vaccination
operations in the Punjab during the three years 1908-09 to 1910-11. The
course of primary vaccination during the period as compared with the previous
triennium can be seen from the following figures, giving the total number of
persons primarily vaccinated in each year :—
1905-06
...
1906-07 ...
1907-08 ...
Total
638,410
607,909
582,455
1,828,774
1908-09
...
1909-10
...
1910-11
...
Total
523,087
522,211
632,094
1,677,392
The effects of malaria and plague are clearly traceable in the low figures in
1 908-09 and 1909-10, but the recovery in the last year of the period is a satis-
factory sign, showing an increase in the birth-rate due to more healthy condi-
tions and increased prosperity and showing that the staff responded to the
altered circumstances. The rise in the percentage of successful primary vacci-
nation on children under one year from 68.93 to 71.62 in the period under
consideration is also a satisfactory feature.
2. In the case of revaccination the number of persons vaccinated in
each of the three years is as follows :—
1908-09
1909-10
1910-11
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total
...
145,811
142,160
128,378
416,349
The total for the previous period was 332,967, so a gratifying increase is
apparent, notwithstanding the very natural reluctance of uneducated people
to submit to this useful operation, which they fear may incapacitate them from
performing their ordinary labours for a time. The increased reluctance noticed
in districts in which plague is prevalent owing to the suspicion that revaccina-
tion may be plague inoculation in disguise is interesting and accounts for some
of the decrease in the numbers revaccinated in 1910-11. The misapprehension
is explainable to some extent from the fact that the vernacular term for vacci-
nation (tika) is also generally used for plague inoculation as well.
3. The experiment of house-to.house vaccination continues, but seems
to be in many places unpopular. There may be a future before it in towns
and large villages where the circumstances are favourable, but further experience
is needed before any definite conclusion can be arrived at. The system saves
the people time and trouble, but is not so efficient from the point of view of
economising the time of the vaccinator, and it is understood that a very general
objection exists on the part of the people to the visiting of their houses by the
vaccinators.
4. The attention paid to vaccination by the Native States has been satis-
factory, and the Officiating Lieutenant-Governor specially notes with pleasure
the high standard attained in Patiála.
5. The work of the Vaccine Institute has been on the whole satisfactory,
and a scheme for its improvement has been drawn up and is under the con-
sideration of Government. It is hoped that when the accommodation has
been improved the quality of the lymph prepared Will also be more satisfactory
in its strength and keeping qualities.