Report of the Medical Officer of Health with reference to the Vaccination Act, 1898.
- Liverpool (England). Health Committee.
- Date:
- 1902
Licence: In copyright
Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health with reference to the Vaccination Act, 1898. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.
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![Public Health Department, Liverpool, 13f// Ft'hrnanj, 1902. THE VACCINATION ACT, 1898. Pursuaut to iho ]-esohitioii of the Health Committee of 80th •Tanuaiy, 1902, requesting; the Medical Officer to report upon the above Act, the Medical Officer would, in the first place, observe that the Vaccination Acts, which are applicable to the whole countrj^ cannot be altogether gauged by their influence in Liverpool alone, and in making the recommendations which he is about to submit for the consideration of the Committee, he has had some regard to the results of the operations of the Acts in other places. There is good reason for this, since, as the prevalence of small-pox in other parts of the country, however remote, is liable to afPect Liverpool, this City is more or less directly concerned that the population shall be efficiently vaccinated in other parts of the country as well as within the City. 1. 8mall-pox is not a disease which is confined to any one class, nor is it a disease which can be controlled by general sanitary measures, apart from vaccination. Hence, one of the most important requirements in an amended Vaccination Act is, the h'ausference pi the control of ,vaccination from the Boards of Guardians, who at present exercise it, to the Sanitary Authorities. At present the conTroTof small-pox (apart fi'om the question of vaccination) is a duty oplonging to the Sanitary Authority; the provision of hospital accommodation, the isolation of contacts, the ambulance arrange- ments, disinfection of dwellings, clothing, &c., detection of infected persons, and in fact every measure to combat the disease, excepting vaccination, is already in the hands of the Sanitary Authority, but all these measures will be futile, however rigorously and at whatever cost they may be applied, without efficient vaccination. (a) The Sanitary Autliority deals with the entire population, irre- spective of theii- social or pecuniary condition, in all matters affecting health.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21362750_0003.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
