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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1976
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS OF SWINE INFLUENZA CLOSELY WATCHED ******
THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH, DR. THE HON. GERALD CHOA, TOLD LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT HONG KONG WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO WATCH CLOSELY FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS OF SWINE INFLUENZA AND WOULD BE GUIDED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION TO TAKE NECESSARY MEASURES AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
HE WAS REPLYING TO THE HON. ROGER LOBO WHO ASKED FOR A GOVERNMENT STATEMENT ON THE PRESENT SITUATION AND ASKED WHETHER OR NOT THE DISEASE WOULD AFFECT HONG KONG.
DR. CHOA SAID THAT FOLLOWING AN OUTBREAK OF INFLUENZA IN A MILITARY CAMP IN THE UNITED STATES, THE W.H.0. ALERTED IN FEBRUARY NATIONAL INFLUENZA CENTRES ALL OVER THE WORLD, OF WHICH THE VIRUS UNIT OF HONG KONG'S MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS ONE, TO REINFORCE SURVEILLANCE.
EARLY THIS MONTH, HE SAID A CONSULTATIVE MEETING OF INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS WAS CALLED IN GENEVA BY THE W.H.O. TO ADVISE ON FUTURE ACTION, A SPECIALIST FROM THE VIRUS UNIT ATTENDED THE MEETING.
+THE CONSENSUS OF OPINION IS THAT IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT THE OUTBREAK OF SWINE INFLUENZA-LIKE VIRUS IN FORT DIX MIGHT HAVE BEEN A UNIQUE EVENT IN A MILITARY RECRUIT POPULATION AND WOULD NOT LEAD TO A WIDE-SPREAD EPIDEMIC SUCH AS EXPERIENCED IN 1957-58 AND 1968-69, + HE SAID.
AS REGARDS VACCINATION, DR. CHOA SAID IT WAS ACCEPTED THAT THE USE OF A VACCINE COULD MODIFY THE INCIDENCE OF INFLUENZA IN MAN, BUT IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE, IT HAD TO BE PREPARED WITH THE NEW EPIDEMIC STRAIN.
+SUCH A VACCINE WILL PROVIDE ONLY A CERTAIN DEGREE OF IMMUNITY FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME, HENCE, MASS VACCINATION AS A PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURE IS GENERALLY NOT RECOMMENDED EXCEPT IN THE FACE OF A PANDEMIC, HE SAID.
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