2
-
Saturday, March 16, 1974
HEALTH REPORT FOR JANUARY
Incidence Of Measles Continues To Increase
**
Health returns for January issued today by the Medical and
Health Department show that 11 children died from measles the highest
number of deaths from the disease recorded for any single month since
June, 1967.
Notifications of measles during the month rose to 367, compared
with 191 in December last year and 129 in November.
Commenting on these figures, a spokesman said they emphasised
the need for parents of susceptible children between six months and five
years to have them immunised,
"Free vaccine is available throughout the year at all maternal
and child health centres," he stressed.
Of the 103 other deaths recorded during January, 99 were caused
by tuberculosis, two by tetanus, one by typhoid, and one by bacillary
dysentery.
There were 18 notifications of bacillary dysentery, a drop from
the 50 cases reported in December. But notifications of chickenpox rose
from 15 in the preceding month to 97. There were no notifications either
of diphtheria or poliomyelitis.
variation.
The incidence of other communicable diseases showed no appreciable
During the month, Hong Kong remained free from cholera and other
quarantinable diseases.
B
13