Smallpox vaccination exhorted

SOME 7000 vaccinations have now been performed in Invercargill city. In the country districts of Southland fewer have been done. During the last three weeks no case of American smallpox has been notified from Invercargill, but cases are still occurring in the country districts. Dunedin city is not responding actively enough to the department's recommendation to submit to vaccination. A few schools have been done but today in one school only 25 percent of the children were submitted by their parents. The incidence of the disease has increased

during the past ten days, principally in Dunedin. The isolation hospital is full and extended accommodation for convalescents is to be obtained. Meantime some advanced convalescents are being returned to their homes under observation. Vaccination is the only sure preventive, and if effected now will, after a temporary disability of a few days only, permit resumption of work not only now but for from seven to 12 years to come. The government calf lymph has been well tested, is satisfactory, and due care is exercised by the vaccinators. It would seem that a death from smallpox is necessary to stimulate the public to face the music. Such is not predicted but severe, unsightly illness of from three to four weeks’ duration, considerable unnecessary industrial disorganisation and remote effects on the general health are. American smallpox is a mild type of true smallpox, which is preventable by vaccination. It varies from a mild trivial case to one of considerable severity.

Both extremes have occurred in this health district.