| Description | As was the case with Aston Union, the King's Norton Guardians appear to have created a Vaccination Committee around the late 1860s-early 1870s. The Guardians' minutes refer to a committee being appointed at the Board's annual meeting in April 1871 (see GP KN/2/1/13), when the elections for other committees were also held - however, it is not mentioned at the previous year's annual meeting. Its founding came at the same time as the 1871 Vaccination Amendment Act, which also required Unions to appoint a Vaccination Officer. Previously, the Union had employed two men as Vaccination Inspectors. However, in the wake of the Act, whilst the same individuals were employed, their title was changed to that of Vaccination Officer. By 1871, the vaccination districts within the Union also appear to have changed. Rather than those four listed above, one Vaccination Officer was responsible for both Harborne and Edgbaston (referred to in the minutes as the northern district), whilst the other supervised vaccinations carried out in the remainder of the Union (the parishes of Northfield, King's Norton and Beoley, referred to as the southern district).
The Vaccination Committee itself originally consisted of just two Guardians - however, the minutes show that this number increased during the 1870s. The minutes contain the Vaccination Officers' regular reports to the Committee, giving details on the numbers of children vaccinated, along with those who have not been treated. Also included are the Officers' accounts, and the actions of the committee regarding those parents who have failed to have their children vaccinated. The volumes are not indexed. |