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54
three years, that the number of children born during these years
was 19,257, and of these about 38 per cent. escaped vaccination
which amounts to over 7,000 children.
In order to obtain an idea of the number of un-vaccinated children
in the Borough, it will only be necessary to apply the rate, I have
above determined, from the examination of the Board School children
between the ages of 3 and 14 years, to the whole of the children in
the Borough at these ages. This latter I have ascertained to be not
less than 47,800; and 28 per cent. of this number will give 13,384;
adding to this 7,000 under 3 years of age, we get the total of 23,384
un-vaccinated children in the Borough at the present time. This is
very probably an under-estimate; because, as I stated before, the
children whom we did not examine, would probably show a higher
un-vaccinated percentage than those examined.
A more detailed analysis of the percentage amongst the children
examined is contained in Table III. It will be seen from this, that
the percetnage of un-vaccinated, between the ages of 3 and 14 years
varies from 47.73 to 4.77 per cent.; and that there is almost an
unbroken increase of the percentage from the age of 14 years
downward. If these figures show anything, it is that 14 years ago
vaccination was well done, and that the community was a well
vaccinated one; also, that from that date some influence began to
operate, which year by year led to a less proportion of the children
born being vaccinated, until five years ago, when the high percentage
of 47.75 per cent. of children born escaped vaccination; this
proportion being practically maintained during the two following
years. This report is concerned only with children of 3 years and
over. Of the younger children who do not go to school, we have
seen above, that the number of un-vaccinated amongst them amounts
to about 38 per cent.
Such is the state of the child population of Hackney and their
preparedness to resist an increase of small-pox.
As to the causes which have led up to the present un-vaccinated
condition of the infant population of Hackney, these are not far
to seek.