Memorial to the Minister of Health
1928-11-30 1928 1920s 8 pages Again — there is nothing said in the Report about the experience of the town of Leicester where infant vaccination has been practically dispensed with for 41 years (1887—1927) and yet during that period the average annual attack rate from smallpox ha...
| Main Author: | |
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| Institution: | MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
London : National Anti-Vaccination League
30 November 1928
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10796/75344D77-DBDE-4843-A1CD-ED86903CC9AB http://hdl.handle.net/10796/8143C26E-84F8-4093-B0D2-FDE043863DCC |
| Summary: | 1928-11-30
1928
1920s
8 pages
Again — there is nothing said in the Report about the experience of the town of Leicester where infant vaccination has been practically dispensed with for 41 years (1887—1927) and yet during that period the average annual attack rate from smallpox has been only 0.135 per 1,000 of the population, while during the past 24 years there has not been a single death from smallpox. Dr. Millard (the well-known Medical Officer of Health for Leicester) was called to give evidence before the Committee but not a word is said about his evidence. Why? Again — why was nothing said in the Report about the smallpox experience of this country during recent years, as compared with that of other countries, such as Germany, France, Italy and Japan, where compulsory vaccination and re-vaccination have been enforced for many years past. For example, the following table in which such a comparison is made is based on figures recently published in the report of the 12th Session of the League of Nations Health Committee :— Smallpox death-rate per million 1919—1927. England and Wales (little vaccinated) 0.46 Switzerland 0.50 Germany (well vaccinated) 2.1 Belgium 2.1 Austria 2.4 France 2.9 Poland 10.3 Czecho-Slovakia 23.4 Spain 65.7 Italy (very well vaccinated) 101.1 Portugal (?) 386.0 Note, in particular, the position of Italy, one of the best — if not the best — vaccinated and re-vaccinated countries in Europe. Again — why was nothing said in the Rolleston Report about the fact brought to light in the recent annual reports of your Chief Medical Officer, in regard to the greater percentage of deaths amongst the vaccinated cases as compared with the unvaccinated? Here are the figures for the four years, 1923—26, as extracted from Sir George Newman's reports :— England and Wales — Smallpox. Cases. Vaccinated. Cases. Unvaccinated. Deaths. Case-mortality rate. Deaths. Case-mortality rate. 1923 410 2 0.5 2,073 5 0.24 1924 691 2 0.3 3.098 5 0.16 1925 988 3 0.3 4.360 2 0.046 1926 2,081 6 0.3 8,055 9 0.11 4.170 13 0.31 17,586 21 0.12 These figures show that even the mild variety of smallpox recently prevalent in this country was two-and-a-half times more fatal to the vaccinated than to the unvaccinated. Is that why the figures do not appear in the Rolleston Report? WANTED — AN EDUCATIONAL CRUSADE. The Rolleston Committee consider that :— “an educational crusade is desirable both on the part of the Ministry of Health and of local sanitary authorities with a view to impressing upon the public mind the nature and purpose of vaccination” (p. 86). Subject to the alteration of the word “purpose” to “effect,” we agree, and we think we have proved even within the small compass of this document, that in no place is that crusade more necessary than amongst the officials of your own Department. We may remind you that several educational crusades have been organised in the past in defence of vaccination, 7
292/840/1/13 |
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| Physical Description: | TEXT |