New-York tribune., 1906-06-23
VACCINATION MAD.
Some Mothers Object to Board of
HcaIth,s Strenuous Efforts

He was small, and grimy boy. with red hair
ard an Irish nose, and he was down on his hands
ana knees peering under the steps of a certain
Fast side public school, weeping loudly the
while.
what's the matter little boy?" asked a
passeIby.
"I'Ne lost my 'tiferkit'" he sobbed.
He means his vaccination certificate" ex-
planned an older boy, coming up.
The benevolent passeTby Joined in the search
and the lost certificate was found-an oblong
scrap Of paper. testifying that James oBrien had
heen vaccinated by an inspector from the Board
If Health and that the virus had taken effect
II VAS an important document 10 James, for
,,.rep Won know that the loss of your vaccina-
zion certificate means that AT any time the Board
az Health may again descend upon you WIN
Cts needle and its virus. you naturally are IN
terested in keeping that document II does no
rood for the child TO show the marks of previous
vaccinations on his arms. for those vaccinations
SO saws the Board Of Health-may have taken
erect and may not. The certificates the thing.
A wholesale vaccination at a public school rs
n FUNNY sight. funny and pathetic. too; the
,,,,.r in East side schools especially, in its
revelations Of the insufficient clothing OF some OF
the children.
~ ALWAYS tel the pupils'they needn't peel
teacher in one downtown srhool remarked, but
neel they generally viii They seem 10 think
fre, can't bare their arms without undressing
Rather complicatedc Yes, particularly II us
winter. and you ger class Of Niddlsh chiareh
whose mothers have sewn then up Tor the colo
months ACain-apd I'm cold Wealher' 100
youn find almos1 nothing under the poor little
dress Or blouse DO the children dread VAGINA
tiono They 90. and, curiously the boys more
than the girls. I've seen boys keel r1ght over
e., SIGHT Of the needle-faint dead away. The
girls don't make 50 much fuss. but they all get
rather manic stricken when the vaccinator ap-
pears"
Miss Aida Williams. principal Of the school
g., West oSth street hit upon diplomatic way
of managing her school at these periodical crises
vaccination times When DR.. Cross appeared
with his little valse and his Board Of Health
badge some Of the children began TO whimpe.
and 10 object that their mothers wanted then
,occirated al home by their own doctors
..Sor yaccinated 10y DR.. Cross?" said Miss
zviIliams. WHY. I wouldn't be vaocinated by
snvbodv but Dr. Cross. I'm going 10 have him
,,aocinate me" And straightway she barred
her arm and submitted 10 the needle Ihere
was an instant change Of public sentiment IN
that school Where the principal had gone II W.
an nouoy to follow; and waists began 70 49,
of and small arms were thrust OUT al l!-e ~ -.
tor much more rapidly than ne cou4u alNeii1 ~
jheu- - ,,
TDr Cross DR.. JOS'InS are the Two ll4'-4i-
hers Of The Board OF Health staff who are de-
tailed 10 school duty especially The board aims
10 vaccinate every child once in four years Inc
fact that vaccination marks on the arm are not
accepted as proof that the virus took has
more than once been the cause OF heated crit
,ois-n of the Board of Health by the public one
indignant mother who went 10 a-Settlenent "l'h
her story typical case.
The doctors are vaccination mad, she sara.
MY boy has three good marks on his arm, ana
the Board Of Healtn insisted on vaccinating him
again. II Is an outrage
When William A Clarke. private secretary 70
NJ Commissioner Darlington was told or Jiis case
he smiled rather scornfuMy.
'NhO was judge whether those marks
were cood?" he asked THAT mother How
could shs tel? There IS only one person COM
petent 10 Judge, and that is the medical inspec-
tor provided by the Board Of Health. That IS
the law Of the land. We always strike these
suags when we try 10 conserve the public health
and safety; there are always people who object 1
10 what is for their own good. We all OF US
kick against The pr-cks p good deal, II we have
any individually But this talk about the |
Board Of Health yaCcnatng children unneces- /
sari.y is ali poppyCoCK"
Dr John Cronin assistant chief medical in |
spe1t5r Of the board characterized false the |
assertion some critics Of the system have made |
that me Nacclnators are paid by the number Of |
vaccinations they perform.
Every man on our star is salaried." he said (
They meet here IN the morning and as ]
signed 10 certain schools lodging houses or dis
rricts and they work in the place 10 which they |
are assigned for a given number # hours and |
are paid given salary"
hloat year ago change n the system was 4
made by the Board Of Health which is rather
p good thing for the poor mothers Of big fam
llts. FnrmeTlN- n mother wished TO enter |
her child IN school, and the child had not been /,
Na0cInat'c, the mother had 10 take n 10 the |
Board or Health building and have the thing |
done. Now, however. the child NAV be entered /
lh school. and The teacher sends word 10 the /
hoard and a vaccinator is sent TO the school So /
fhe mother is spared the payfng out OF carfare |
which perhaps She can III afford
li any parent prefers to have his child vac
'lhat'd uE his family physician. hc can OF
course, do So but the certificate must be shown 4
But good many people prefer the Board OF
liealih's virus, believing II TO be fresher Dur
Hl6 ulc nrst quarter ~ this year alone 6 694 4
hchoo children were vaccinated 10y the Board
of Health.