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pamphlets. The result was not encouraging for there was no sign of any increased inclination to report cases and the dumping of bodies continued unabated.
22. Isolation of the sick and disinfection and surveillance of contacts being impossible, vaccination was practically the only means of combating the epidemic.
23. Fortunately the Chinese are not adverse to vaccination. They only resort to it, however, in large numbers when Smallpox is epidemic. The Government employ 12 public Vaccinators who work under the Health Officer of the Port and are also available for employment wherever the Medical Officer of Health may consider their services are most required. In addition vaccination is available, free of charge, at all Government and Chinese Hospitals and Dispensaries.
24. In November it was decided to accept the offer of the Assistant Commissioner of St. John's Ambulance Brigade to conduct a vaccination campaign as had been done in previous epidemics. Each member of the Brigade was instructed in vaccination by the divisional Surgeons and when pronounced proficient his name was gazetted as a Public Vaccinator for the period of the emergency. In this way 179 members of the Brigade were gazetted. Booths were opened in the streets and markets and in less than six weeks 191,872 persons were vaccinated.
25. In addition to this 66,840 vaccinations were performed by the Public Vaccinators and at Hospitals and Dispensaries making a total of 258,212. A considerable number of vaccinations were also done by private practitioners which were not recorded.
26. Great difficulty was experienced in obtaining permission to vaccinate young children. There appears to be a belief that children should not be vaccinated before they are six months of age. The Ordinance provides for vaccination "within six months from the date of birth"; for some reason not readily understood this has been interpreted to mean that vaccination need not take place until the child is six months old,
The fact that 70% of the deaths were in children under 5 years of age shows the unvaccinated state of the child population.
Failure to vaccinate between the months of May to September inclusive is not punishable though why there should be this off season is not clear.
27. The constant movement of population into and out of the Colony (some 4,000 per diem) renders it difficult to maintain an immune population.
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pamphlets. The result was not encouraging for there was no sign of any increased inclination to report cases and the dump- ing of bodies continued unabated.
22. Isolation of the sick and disinfection and surveillance of contacts being impossible, vaccination was practically the only means of combating the epidemic.
23. Fortunately the Chinese are not adverse to vaccination. They only resort to it, however, in large numbers when Small- pox is epidemic. The Government employ 12 public Vaccina-
tors who work under the Health Officer of the Port and are also available for employment wherever the Medical Officer of Health may consider their services are most required. In addition vac- cination is available, free of charge, at all Government and Chinese Hospitals and Dispensaries.
24. In November it was decided to accept the offer of the Assistant Commissioner of St. John's Ambulance Brigade to conduct a vaccination campaign as had been done in previous epidemics. Each member of the Brigade was instructed in vaccination by the divisional Surgeons and when pronounced pro- ficient his name was gazetted as a Public Vaccinator for the period of the energency. In this way 179 members of the Brigade were gazetted. Booths were opened in the streets and markets and in less than six weeks 191,872 persons were vac- cinated.
25. In addition to this 66,840 vaccinations were performed by the Public Vaccinators and at Hospitals and Dispensaries making a total of 258,212. A considerable number of vaccina- tions were also done by private practitioners which were not recorded.
26. Great difficulty was experienced in obtaining permission to vaccinate young children. There appears to be a belief that children should not be vaccinated before they are six months of age. The Ordinance provides for vaccination "within six months from the date of birth"; for some reason not readily understood this has been interpreted to mean that vaccination need not take place until the child is six months old,
The fact that 70% of the deaths were in children under 5 years of age shows the unvaccinated state of the child popula- tion.
Failure to vaccinate between the months of May to Septem- ber inclusive is not punishable though why there should be this off season is not clear.
27. The constant movement of population into and out of the Colony (some 4,000 per diem) renders it difficult to maintain an immune population.
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