FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1976
PARENTS URGED TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN IMMUNISED
AGAINST MEASLES
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THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS AGAIN URGED PARENTS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE IMMUNISED AGAINST THE INFECTIOUS. DISEASE OF MEASLES, WHICH HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID THE INCIDENCE OF MEASLES WENT UP FROM 60 CASES IN APRIL TO 130 IN MAY AND TO 260 LAST MONTH, BRINGING THE TOAL TO 600 CASES WITH FOUR DEATHS SO FAR THIS YEAR.
HE SAID ALTHOUGH THE INCIDENCE OF MEASLES HAS CONSIDERABLY INCREASED, IT HAS NOT REACHED EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS.
HOWEVER, TO PREVENT A MAJOR OUTBREAK PARENTS MUST IMMEDIATELY HAVE THEIR CHILDREN VACCINATED, HE SAID.
FREE VACCINE IS AVAILABLE AT ALL MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CENTRES RUN BY THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH ARE LOCATED IN EVERY DISTRICT.
THE DEPARTMENT HAD EARLIER WARNED THE PUBLIC OF THE POSSIBILITY OF AN OUTBREAK OF MEASLES DURING THE LATTER PART OF 1975 OR EARLY 1976.
THIS WAS BECAUSE THE DISEASE HAD, IN THE PAST, DISPLAYED A DISTINCT BIENNIAL PATTERN OCCURING IN AN ENDEMIC FORM EVERY ALTERNATE WINTER/SPRING.
THE SPOKESMAN RECALLED THAT THE LAST OUTBREAK OF MEASLES OCCURED IN LATE 1973 AND EARLY 1974 WHEN 53 CHILDREN DIED OF THE DISEASE.
HE EXPLAINED THAT MEASLES IS A HIGHLY INFECTIOUS DISEASE AFFECTING MOSTLY CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS OF AGE.
+ALTHOUGH IT IS SELDOM FATAL, THE COMPLICATIONS OF THE INFECTION SUCH AS BRONCHO-PNEUMONIA OR ENCEPHALITIS, OFTEN LEAD TO DEATH,+ HE SAID.
A SURVEY BY THE DEPARTMENT SHOWED THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN HONG KONG STILL REMAINED SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE DISEASE, ALTHOUGH SOME 41 PER CENT OF THE CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS HAVE BEEN VACCINATED.
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