§ Mr. LUPTONasked the President of the Local Government Board if he is aware that, at the Paddington Union Workhouse lying-in ward, babies are habitually vaccinated at ages of four days, five days, seven days, and ten days, and that vaccination at these early ages is the rule; if this practice has his sanction; and, if not, will he give directions that this practice shall be discontinued, and no vaccination offered until the child is six months old?
§ Mr. BURNSI understand that it is the practice to vaccinate infants in the workhouse of the parish of Paddington at the ages stated in the question, but that this is never done without the consent of the mother being first obtained. The view taken by the Local Government Board is that the vaccination of a child in a workhouse before the age of two months is to be deprecated, unless there is at the time obvious danger of smallpox contagion or unless the parent specially requests that the operation may be performed. I will communicate this view to the guardians in the present case.