No. 2387/567-IX

GOVERNMENT OF THE CENTRAL PROVINCES,

MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH
                              DEPARTMENT.

Nagpur, the 6th October 1923.

READ—

The Triennial Report on Vaccination in the Central Provinces and
Berar for the years 1920-21, 1921-22 and 1922-23, with state-
ments.

                              RESOLUTION.

An examination of the statistics of vaccination during the last
nine years shows that, while the number of vaccinations performed
during the three years ending 1916-17 was 1,754,752, it declined
to 1,616,431 during the next triennial period, and fell to 1,279,167
during the triennium under review The decrease in the years
1917-20 amounted to only 7.8 per cent and was mainly due to the
influenza epidemic which hampered vaccination work. The period
under review on the other hand shows a fall of 20.8 per cent as
compared with the previous triennium for which no satisfactory
explanation is forthcoming. The decrease was most marked in
primary vaccinations, which may be partly accounted for by the
low birth-rate in 1920-21, but the chief reasons appear to have
been slackness on the part of vaccination staff combined with
apathy on the part of the people. The general opposition to all
Government measures excited by the non-co-operation movement,
and the absence of any severe small-pox epidemic in recent years,
undoubtedly rendered the vaccinator's task more difficult, but this
alone was not sufficient to account for the serious backsliding
which has occurred and other reasons must be sought. One of
these is the cessation of touring by the Civil Surgeons which was
ordered as a measure of economy and the consequent absence of
supervision over the vaccinators' work. The Local Government
(Ministry of Public Health) considers that there should be proper
inspection of the vaccinators' work and that the bar on touring
by Civil Surgeons in tents should now be removed.