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159
[1904
VACCINATION.
The returns respecting vaccination deal with the year 1903, and are the
latest complete returns available.
They show an improvement upon those of the preceding year, which were
in turn in advance of the returns of the year 1901.
Of the 8,959 births, 6,673 were registered as successfully vaccinated, being
74.5 per cent.; and the number registered as having died unvaccinated was 7.39,
or 8.2 per cent. of the whole. Of the remaining 1,627 children, 23, or 0.25 per
cent. of the whole had been registered as insusceptible to vaccination; o as
having contracted Small Pox prior to vaccination; 62, or 0.69 per cent. as
having their vaccination postponed by medical certificate; and 103, or 1.1 per
cent. respecting whom certificates of conscientious objection were
received; leaving 1,359, or 15.1 Per cent., as "removed," "not to be traced,"
or otherwise unaccounted for.
A better method of estimating the state of vaccination is by taking as the
basis of the calculation the number of births, less those infants who have died
unvaccinated. This leaves it for the year 1903 at 8,959 less 739 or
8,220. Of these 8,220 surviving children, 6,673, or 81.2 per cent., were
successfully vaccinated; 0.27 per cent. were insusceptible to vaccination;
0.75 per cent. as under medical certificate of postponement; and 1.3 per
cent. in respect of whom certificates of conscientious objection to vaccination
had been obtained, leaving 16.5 per cent. as unaccounted for as regards
vaccination.
The number of exemption certificates granted to persons holding conscientious
objections to vaccination, as we have seen, numbered 103, or 30
more than in the preceding year, but were less by 3 than the number granted
in 1901, which was in turn less by 21 than the number granted in 1900. The
exemptions do not appear to be of any great moment, being under 1½ per cent.
in Islington.