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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1978
GERMAN MEASLES VACCINATION CAMPAIGN
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THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS TO LAUNCH A MASSIVE 'RUBELLA' VACCINATION CAMPAIGN AIMED AT PROTECTING WOMEN FROM GIVING BIRTH TO DEFORMED BABIES.
THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST RUBELLA, COMMONLY KNOWN AS GERMAN MEASLES, IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN HONG KONG AND IS ONE OF A SERIES OF HEALTH EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS ORGANISED BY THE DEPARTMENT'S CENTRAL HEALTH EDUCATION UNIT, IT WILL BEGIN ON SEPTEMBER 19 AND WILL LAST ABOUT FOUR MONTHS.
DURING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, THE DEPARTMENT'S INOCULATION TEAMS WILL VISIT SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES TO VACCINATE ALL SCHOOL GIRLS IN THE 11 14 AGE GROUP.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED THAT RUBELLA IS A DISEASE DUE TO VIRUS INFECTION AND IF CAUGHT BY A WOMAN IN EARLY PREGNANCY IT CAN RESULT IN THE BIRTH OF SEVERELY HANDICAPPED BABIES.
THE OBJECTIVE OF VACCINATING THE TARGET GROUP OF 11 - 14 YEARS OLD GIRLS IS TO GIVE THEM MAXIMUM LONG-TERM PROTECTION AS THEY ENTER THE REPRODUCTIVE AGE, HE SAID.
WORLD-WIDE RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT IF A WOMAN CAUGHT RUBELLA DURING THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF PREGNANCY SHE MIGHT GIVE BIRTH TO A CHILD WITH SUCH CONGENITAL DEFORMITIES AS DEAFNESS, BLINDNESS, ABNORMALITIES OF HEART AND BRAIN AND MENTAL RETARDATION.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT WOMEN IN REGULAR CONTACT WITH CHILDREN OR PATIENTS, FOR INSTANCE, TEACHERS AND NURSING STAFF, HAVE A GREATER RISK OF CONTRACTING THE DISEASE THAN OTHER PEOPLE AND SHOULD THEREFORE GET THEMSELVES VACCINATED.
THESE +AT RISK GROUPS OF WOMEN MAY CALL AT THE VARIOUS GOVERNMENT MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CENTRES TO RECEIVE THE VACCINATION. FOR THESE PERSONS, A BLOOD TEST WILL BE CARRIED OUT BEFORE VACCINATION TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THEY HAVE ALREADY ACQUIRED THE IMMUNITY.
THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT RUBELLA VACCINE MUST NOT BE GIVEN DURING PREGNANCY OR TO A WOMAN WHO IS LIKELY TO BECOME PREGNANT IN THE FOLLOWING THREE MONTHS AFTER VACCINATION SO AS NOT TO AFFECT FOETAL GROWTH.
THE SYMPTOMS OF RUBELLA USUALLY BEGIN WITH ENLARGEMENT OF GLANDS BEHIND THE EARS AND IN THE NECK, FOLLOWED BY A RASH. ON THE FACE AND NECK, SPREADING TO THE LIMBS AND BODY. IN SOME CASES, NO RASH APPEARS AT ALL. THERE MAY BE SORENESS OF THE THROAT WITH RED EYES AND A FEVER.
/THE RUBELLA