Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-10-01
VALUE OF VACCINATION
How Dread Disease May Be-
Easily Avoided.
VALUABLE FACTS FOR PARENTS
Advent Of Cool Weather Brings Up The
Importance Of Protection Against
The Con,aglon,

The Con,agicn.
Now that the winter is at hand. and
people are beginning 60 think about d
possible renewal of the outbreak of
smallpox in this citv, some facts
regarding the efficiency OF vacca-
nation. and collected for the The Even-
ing World Iy an expert should prove
Of general interest; While there ID at /
present not single case Of smallpox
within the city limits, 1t is bv mol
means impossible that the disease
may not recur at an early day hence 4
the Importance in urging upon th63
school authorities the necessity of hav.|
Ing all pupils vaccinated.
/ il has been repeatedly shown bYz
statistics of first class authorized
that vaccination in infancy has saved
an enormous number of children. who'd
under former conditions would have
nied. Before vaccination, the deathsN
from smallpox were mainly among
children; since vaccination, the NOR.
talitv is greater among adults. After
the age of l5 the protective infiuenoo
of the primary vaccination has to 4
large extent disappeared aud unpro.
tected adults form u larger proportion
of the population than in pie.vaccid
nation periods, when an attack "a
smallpox in childhood was far moro
common, and. as a rule, II survived
gave immunity for life.
II was at first thought that ono suo4
!cessful vaccination protected the in3
dividual for the rest Of bis life, bul
this Is now known not 10 be the case
especially IL done very early in lifeI
The protective influence gradnnll
wears..awav in time so that Ii bucomo
necessary, to revaccinate after thz
lapse Of about ten years. If vacci
nation il done daring infancy end I'd
vaccination ten years later. then n
most absolute protection against small
pox is obtained for the rest OF life.
The attempt To explain the reductio
of the prevalence of smallpox bv lid
proved sanitation fails when spplie
to tlie fact that while formerly mos
deaths from smallpox we're anon
children. and since vaccination III
been pfaciioed the mortality ii create
among adults; tile fact that the IA
] cufrence Of smallpox is very ral
among certain classes Of workers WI
"A .srn1 IN ho min Tad
as postofiice employees, civil servi1
officials, nurses, policemen. ETC.. tll
the disease passes by the vaccinatl
children. but attack the unvaccinat@
living In the same mouse.
BEST AUTHORITIES AGREE.
The whole subject of vaocinati
has been inquired into with the gre1
| est care and impartialitv bv two gre
commissions The German vac}
nation commission Of 1884 and i
0 roysl commission Of ENGLAND, 1888
q Their principal conclusions are
! tirely in accord, snd can he stated I'd
$ ciscly as follows:
4 Vaccination protects agail
$ smallpox. But reyaccinatiou il nuc
saIy ten Years later
: 2--When vaceinated person "a
d contract smallpox, tho Gosease II
!. ways milder, ard the Likelihood
+, death Is very small.
3--The vaccinated condition Of
surrounding country increases tho b
0 lection against smallpox which
individual has acquired by vaoc
! nation. and hence vaccination IL BEL
fetal. not only to the individual,
generally.
4-Bv care in vaccination. the dam
is reduced to such q minimum al
make the benefit of vaccination
: finitely outweigh and possible iujo
Gus effects.
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