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27
Owing to the various outbreaks of Smallpox which
have taken place in London during the past year or
two, I thought it would be interesting to see what
effects these outbreaks had had on the number of
vaccinations performed by the public vaccinators.
Mr. Davies, therefore, has kindly supplied me with
information for the past three years from September,
1920, to September, 1923, and the figures are distinctly
illuminating. I give these figures below :—
September, 1920, to September, 1921 2,924 Vaccinations
,, 1921 „ 1922 1,309
,, 1922 „ 1923 5,981
During the first period, September, 1920, to September,
1921, two or three cases of Smallpox occurred
in London, but none in Fulham, and one gets the total
of 2,924 vaccinations. During the next period, September,
1921, to September, 1922, no cases of Smallpox
occurred either in London or Fulham, and apparently,
as a result, one gets a distinct drop in vaccinations,
the figure being 1,309, the most noticeable part of the
drop being the figure for re-vaccinations, which fell
from 1,475 in the first period to 42 in the second period.
During the third period, September, 1922, to September,
1923, when two cases of Smallpox occurred in
Fulham, and a considerable number in other parts of
London, there is noticeable a very considerable increase
in the number of vaccinations, the figure
for the previous year being exceeded by more than
five times, there being a total of 5,981 against 1,309.
In this instance there is marked increase, both in
primary vaccinations and in re-vaccinations, the
primaries increasing from 1,267 in the second period
to 2,996 in the third period, while re-vaccinations increased
from 42 in the second period to 2,985 in the
third period. It would appear, therefore, that there
is a distinct relationship between the number of
vaccinations performed and the presence or absence
of Smallpox. Evidently some people have consciences
which allow them to object when they fancy they are
safe and to be willing when there is any danger of
Smallpox. This is only another example of the futility