At the same time the 1898 Vaccination Act banned arm-to-arm vaccination, thus preventing transmission of syphilis by this vaccine. However, private practitioners had to purchase vaccine from commercial producers. Although proper use of glycerine reduced bacterial contamination considerably the crude starting material, scraped from the skin of infected calves, was always heavily contaminated and no vaccine was totally free from bacteria. A survey of vaccines in 1900 found wide variations in bacterial contamination. Vaccine issued by the Government Vaccine Establishment contained 5,000 bacteria per gram, while commercial vaccines contained up to 100,000 per gram. The level of bacterial contamination remained unregulated until the Therapeutic Substances Act, 1925 set an upper limit of 5,000 per gram, and rejected any batch of vaccine found to contain the causative organisms of erysipelas or wound infections. Unfortunately glycerolated vaccine soon lost its potency at ambient temperatures which restricted its use in tropical climates. However, it remained in use into the 1970s where a satisfactory cold chain was available. Animals continued to be widely used by vaccine producers during the smallpox eradication campaign. A WHO survey of 59 producers, some of whom used more than one source of vaccine, found that 39 used calves, 12 used sheep and 6 used water buffalo, whilst only 3 made vaccine in cell culture and 3 in embryonated hens eggs.
In addition, avoiding potential irritants like douches and deodorant tampons can prevent cervicitis. Treatment
Non-infectious causes of cervicitis are primarily treated by eliminating or limiting exposure to the irritant. Antibiotics, usually azithromycin or doxycycline, or antiviral medications are used to treat infectious causes. Women at increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (i.e., less than 25 years of age and a new sexual partner, a sexual partner with other partners, or a sexual partner with a known sexually transmitted infection), should be treated presumptively for chlamydia and possibly gonorrhea, particularly if follow-up care cannot be ensured or diagnostic testing is not possible. For lower risk women, deferring treatment until test results are available is an option.To reduce the risk of reinfection, women should abstain from sexual intercourse for seven days after treatment is started. Also, sexual partners (within the last sixty days) of anyone with infectious cervicitis should be referred for evaluation or treated through expedited partner therapy (EPT). EPT is the process by which a clinician treats the sexual partner of a patient diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection without first meeting or examining the partner. Sexual partners should also avoid sexual intercourse until they and their partners are adequately treated.Untreated cervicitis is also associated with an increased susceptibility to HIV infection. Women with infectious cervicitis should be tested for other sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and syphilis.Cervicitis should be followed up.