§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the fact that, notwithstanding the large diminution in the number of vaccinations in this country among 1663W infants during the past 20 years, chicken-pox has been a five times more fatal disease than small-pox; and whether, therefore, he will reconsider the present obligatory laws of vaccination?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI am aware that the number of deaths in this country attributed to chicken-pox during the past 20 years is largely in excess of the number of deaths attributed to small-pox during that period. But this fact does not appear to afford any sufficient reason for reconsidering the present vaccination laws.
§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health whether he can state the considered judgment of the medical advisers of his Department with regard to the utility or otherwise of primary vaccination; and whether he contemplates any measures for the obligation to re-vaccinate quinquennially?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe answer to the first part of the question is that, in the judgment of my medical advisers, primary vaccination is of great and amply proved utility. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative.
§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health the reasons why the words about the tragedy of a widespread epidemic of small-pox being realised have been omitted at the end of the first paragraph in the 1924 edition of the Ministry of Health's pamphlet, No. 8, on the subject of small-pox and vaccination?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe words in question were omitted in view of the general mildness of the type of small-pox prevalent in this country at the time the pamphlet was revised.
§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health if he will present statistics to show the number of persons in England and Wales who, in the 10 years ending with 1921, died of small-pox although admittedly successfully vaccinated; the number of persons who died of small-pox in the same period and were classified as not vaccinated; the number classified as doubtful who died of small-pox; and the percentage of births vaccinated in that period of 10 years?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe records in the possession of my Department show1664W that, of the 122 persons who died of smallpox during the 10 years ending with 1921, 43 had been vaccinated, 59 had not been vaccinated prior to exposure to infection, and in 20 instances the vaccinal condition was doubtful. The 43 vaccinated cases included no person under the age of 12, four persons between the ages of 12 and 25, and four between the ages of 25 and 35, the remainder being in each case over the age of 35. The records show that only four of the vaccinated cases had been re-vaccinated, the ages of these persons being 25, 35, 58 and 64 respectively. Of the 59 unvaccinated persons, 26 were under the age of 12, 18 between the ages of 12 and 25, nine between the ages of 25 and 35, and six over the age of 35. The percentage of births vaccinated during the period in question was 43.5.
§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the expenditure from local rates upon vaccination during the year ended 31st March, 1921, was £175,000, whereas for the previous year the amount was £124,000; and the cause for the increase?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part the increased expenditure was mainly due to the operation of the Vaccination Order, 1919, which came into force on the 1st December, 1919, and prescribed an increased minimum fee of 5s. payable to public vaccinators for each domiciliary primary vaccination.
§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health if he will supply the figures showing the fees paid to public vaccinators and the standard salaries, and any fees and standard salaries to vaccination officers other than public ones?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe minimum fees paid to public vaccinators are as follow:
- (a) 1s. in respect of each child whose name is included in the lists for warded to the public vaccinator by the vaccination officer.
- (b) 5s. in respect of every successful primary vaccination performed at the home of the child or person vaccinated and duly recorded in the vaccination register.
1665 - (c) 2s. 6d. in respect of every successful vaccination or re-vaccination performed at the public vaccinator's surgery, or elsewhere than at the home of the person vaccinated or re-vaccinated, and duly recorded in the vaccination register.
Very few public vaccinators are paid by salary and there is no standard salary; the amount paid varies according to the circumstances of the district and the work to be done. I am not aware that there are any vaccination officers other than public ones.
§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the commissioners of national health administration in Germany have accepted the principle of government compensation for injuries or ill effects following vaccination; and whether he will consider the advisability of adopting the same principle in this country seeing that vaccination is enforced in the interests of the community?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have no information as to the first part of the question. As regards the second part, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on this subject on the 30th November.