Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1902. Vaccination.

Manawatu Herald, 31 May 1902, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1902. Vaccination.

Some month or two ago wg brought under the notice of our readers the value of vaccination so prominently brought out during the present smallpox epidemic in London. From the returns we published it was evident that vaccination was a remarkable safeguard. The other day we received from Dr Mason, the Chief Health Officer, a circular with 'hagrams showing in a different manner, viz., by diagrams the efficacy of vaccination in London as mentioned; In this circular Dr Mason states, “ Lulled into a sense of false security by the fact that small-pox has long been a stranger to our colony, New Zealand is fast becoming one of the least protected of all countries. Not more than about twenty-five per cent of our children have been vaccinated, and few of our"adult population have been revaccinated.” Why is this ? In the Session of 1900 in the Public Health Act, the opponents of vaccination succeeded in securing the following exemption clause: —“ At any time within four months after the birth of a child, or, in the case of a child born before the commencement of this Act, then at any time within four , months after such commencement, the child’s parent or custodian, if conscientiously of opinion that vaccination \jpuld be prejudicial to the child’s health, may apply to any Stipendiary Magistrate or Registrar for a certificate of exemption,” and thus many parents having been aware of the terrible results ensuing from careless treatment have been driven to assert the fact they believe such would be prejudicial to their child’s health. Dr Mason now states that “ To remove the objection sometimes raised against vaccination—namely the possibility of disease being transmitted from one child to another through vaccination by means of lymph—the Government have made it illegal to use other than pure calflymph,” Though we may state that the Act of 1900 secured this by making use of any lymph but that defined by the Act liable to a penalty of £lO. The greatest need appears for the Government to have plenty of lymph, and districts defined with properly qualified vaccinators appointed which this particular portion of the colony is yet wanting. We have in our Chief Health Officer a very able man and his advice has been often sought in most serious cases so that his concluding remarks should be well taken to heart: — “ Every nr-ther and father is ‘asked to read the lesson which this recent epidemic teaches. The children cannot protect themselves, but they will be the sacrificed should the disease cl. u.'.d in the colony. Ab-

solutely pure calf-lymph is supplied by the Government free of charge to all medical men, and parents can have their children vaccinated any day by applying to the Public Vaccinator of their district.