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21
RE-VACCINATION BILL.
Unfortunately, owing to the state of public business last Session, this
measure had so little chance of being considered that it was withdrawn in the
Commons before the Second Reading. It was, however, re-introduced in the
House of Lords by the Duke of Northumberland, when it was passed on
the 5th August, 1904, and received by the House of Commons three days
later. The Session coming to an end shortly afterwards, the Bill could not
be further proceeded with.
This Bill was the natural sequence to the statute that created the
"conscientious objector," which was indeed passed on the understanding that
a Re-vaccination Bill should be brought in. Being entirely non-political in
character, it was essentially a measure that should have been promoted by the
Government, who, although stated to be in no sense hostile to the Bill, showed
a somewhat unsympathetic attitude towards it. It is to be hoped, therefore,
that pressure will be brought to bear upon the Government of the day to induce
them to introduce or assist the passage of a similar Bill next Session. That
they could be induced to do either is doubtful, as in these days of "passive
resistance," when notoriety can easily be obtained by a cheap martyrdom, it
is to be feared that no Government would risk the unpopularity amongst
a section of the community that the support of a Re-vaccination Bill might
entail.
The object of the Bill promoted last year was to make re-vaccination
compulsory within six months after children reached the age of twelve years.
It was practically an extension of the existing Vaccination Acts, and the same
penalties were imposed as in the case of primary infant vaccination.
The weak point in the Bill, as in the existing Act, was the inclusion of a
clause relating to exemption on account of conscientious objection. With this
exception, the Bill was worthy of support in the best interests of the
community.
Similar legislation has been in operation in Germany for thirty years, where
the Vaccination Law of April, 1874, requires that young children must be
vaccinated before the end of the calendar year following the year of birth, and all
school children must be re-vaccinated in their twelfth year. Obedience to
this law is enforced by fine or imprisonment.
In a Report issued last year by the Local Government Board, as the result
of an enquiry conducted in Germany by Dr. Bruce Low, it is noted that
during the twelve years—1891-1902—there were recorded in England and
Wales, with a population of 32,526,075 persons, 6,761 deaths from Small-pox,
while in Germany, with a population of 56,367,178, during the same period
only 607 deaths from this disease were registered.
These differences are very striking, and we may reasonably infer that had a
primary and secondary vaccination been as efficiently carried out in this