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these injections have been given to children under 10 years of age since 1952.
At the end of 1955 a small pilot survey to determine serum antibody types of this disease in Hong Kong was conducted with the aid of Professor J. H. Hale, M.D., M.R.C.P., Professor of Bacteriology at the University of Malaya. In June 1956 Professor Hale visited the Colony and conducted a more extensive survey for the same purpose. The results, which are now awaited, will be dealt with in the Medical Department's Annual Report in due course.
Tuberculosis. Pulmonary tuberculosis remained the prin- cipal health problem in the Colony. Though the number of notified cases continued to be high, the death rate from the disease is falling slowly but still exceeds 100 per 100,000. A recent statistical report compiled by the World Health Organization indicates that the chances of infection in Hong Kong, with a high death rate at an early age, are greater than in any other country covered by the report.
Control measures are based on the protection of infants and young children by B. C. G. vaccination and by therapeu- tic measures designed to control the disease in known cases. B. C. G. vaccination is officially sponsored and financed, the main campaign now being concentrated on the vaccination of new born infants in the first few days of life. Supplies of vaccine for this purpose are available free of charge to all private medical practitioners and midwives on demand. Older children are offered vaccination, after preliminary skin test- ing, through the School Health Service, the Maternal and Child Health Service, the Tuberculosis Service and through the Hong Kong Anti-Tuberculosis Association. All notified cases are visited in their homes by Tuberculosis Visitors and advised on hygiene methods to prevent the spread of infec- tion. Contacts of all notified cases are offered free clinical and X-ray examination in Government Clinics.
Because of the shortage of beds treatment of Tuberculosis
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