View report page

24
In order that speedy discovery may be made of all unvaccinated persons, whether
born in the district, or newly arrived there, it will frequently be desirable
that some temporary assistance be given to Vaccination Officers, in the
manner provided in Article 10 (2) of the Vaccination Order, 1898.
This Memorandum is intended to afford information on the measures and
arrangements referred to above.
A.—Special Instructions to Vaccination Officers.
1. On the occurrence of any prevalence of small-pox the Vaccination
Officer should give his first and special attention to the particular localities in
which the infection exists.
2. In order that for this purpose he may have the earliest possible information
of the occurrence of cases of the disease, the Guardians should invite the
Medical Officer of Health to give information to the Vaccination Officer of each
case of small-pox as soon as it is notified, and, with the same object, the
co-operation of persons who visit among the poor should be secured. They
should also instruct their District Medical Officers to give the Vaccination Officer
immediate notice of every fresh case of small-pox which comes under their
care, and should arrange with the Registrars of Deaths to forward to him
immediate notice of each death registered from small-pox. For convenience
of transmitting such notices, each District Medical Officer and Registrar should
be supplied with forms duly stamped for post, or with post-cards adapted
for the purpose. Private medical practitioners may be invited to give similar
information.
3. In each locality in which the infection exists, the Vaccination Officer
should, with the utmost possible dispatch, personally ascertain what children
are unprotected by vaccination, and should use his utmost exertions to obtain
the prompt vaccination of all such children. Generally speaking, his own
judgment and local knowledge will guide him as to the manner in which his
inquiries can best be made; but in infected courts or alleys, as well as in
certain kinds of streets, inquiries from house to house, and, in tenement houses,
from room to room, will be indispensable.
4. Where any child (between the ages of six months and 14 years) who
has not already had small-pox, or has not been duly certified as insusceptible
of vaccination, or has not come within the terms of exemption under section 2
of the Vaccination Act, 1898, or whose vaccination is not at the time standing
postponed under medical certificate, is found to be unvaccinated, the Vaccination
Officer should take steps to procure the vaccination of the child with all
practicable speed.
With regard to unvaccinated children, not yet six months old, who may be
in infected localities, the Vaccination Officer should advise the parents not to
incur the unnecessary risk of waiting for the child to reach that age before