§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if he will state how the amount of fees paid to public vaccinators by the various boards of guardians since the passing of the Act of 1898 compares with the cost of vaccinations prior to the passing of that Act.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. WALTER LONG,) Bristol, S.According to the information I have obtained, the total number of vaccinations and revaccinations performed by public vaccinators in the four years ended, at Lady Day, 1899, was 1,370,897, and the average amount of the fee per case was 2s. 2d. In the four years ended at Lady Day, 1903, the total numbers of vaccinations and re-vaccinations performed by public vaccinators had risen to 3,197,192, and the average amount of fee per case was rather less than 5s. 10d. The substitution of the system of domiciliary vaccination under the Vaccination Act. 1898, for vaccination at fixed stations and the requirement that the operation shall be performed with antiseptic dressings have greatly increased the demand upon the time of the public vaccinators, and higher fees have consequently to be paid. A Departmental Committee is, however, at present inquiring into the subject of vaccination fees.