The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-07-29

state and the rules and regulations
of the state board Of health require
all children in the state to be vacci-
mated during the first, sixth and 18th
years, and positively forbids that any
authority shall admit any child into
any school into the state who shall
not have been successfully vaccina-
ted before enrolment, it is self
evident fact that all parents, guar
dians, school teachers, school princi-
pals and superintendents, school
trutees and both the county super
visors and the state superintendent
of education are co-equa4ly respon-
sible for the protection of minors to
the age of 15 years against smallpox
and are, all deserving Of censure for
the presence of any unvaccinated
children in the schools Of the state
and are responsible, each and every
one, for the death, defornity or Sc
rious results from smallpox if con-
traeted during the school life Of such
The law of the state provides a
penalty for the offense committed
by fhe parties above named IN al
lowing unvaccinated children to at
tend any school in the state. 1t is
500 or 80 days in Jail for each and
every offense, and it is the duty. of
all in authority, especially the local
boards of health, to see that this
law is enforced and wnen violated
the, offending parties brought
promptly to trial.
The compulsory vaccination law
was passed in 1905 when it was esti-
mated. that there were at least 49,
600 cases of smallpox in South
Carolina. Under the enforcement of
the law at that time the disease was
practically stamped out. Had the
school authorities obeyed the law pass
ed in 1905 since that year until now
and refused the admission Of unvac-
cinated children into the schools of
this state, there would probably have
been no material on which the dis
ease would now be comparatively,
if not entirely, unknown In the
state. ....
1t can OF be doubted that if the
compulsory vaccination law is fully
complied with from now on by the
school authorities Of South Carolina
the disease will within a few years
be a rarity in if not altogether alb
sent from the state. :.
There is not single valid objec-
tion to vaccination against smallpox
as is proven by the experiences
throughout the world. I'm the
Philippine islands in the past few
years the United States authorities
vaccinated 3,515,000 persons with
out a single death or any serious
post-uaccinal complications" 'Since
two successful vaccinations usually
protect against smallpox for life,
the question is largely one of secur-
ing the vaccination of infants and
school children. This is the vexed
question Of compulsory vaccination"
q. Compulsory vaccination, however,
is law and should he rigidly en-
forced. "To secure complete immuni-
ty persons should be vaccinated on
an average Of every seven years.
The past year has been in this
state one Of the most widespread
epidenlics Of smallpox that has come
to it's people in many years, and it
is one largely if not solely due to
the violation of the compulsory vac
cination law by the school authori-
ties Of the state. Smallpox is con-
tracted practically only by contact
with a person suffering an at
tack of the disease. Infection by air
borne germs Of the disease is not ad-
mitted by modern authorities at
least as far as air out of doors is con-
cetned. Even within a house in
which case Of smallpox is present
the Chances of infection by this
means is practically nil. The infect
ing virus of the disease is in the
skin LESSONS and most probably in all