M 24
The total number of cases brought to the notice of the authorities during the year was 977 of which 854 or 87.4 per cent died. 186 cases were admitted to the Tung Wah Hospital for 'Chinese' treatment, which with 10 remaining from the previous year made a total of 196. Of these 85 died making a death rate under Chinese treatment of 43.3 per cent. Altogether 35 cases were treated in the Government Infectious Diseases Hospital of which 4 died making a death rate of 11.4 per cent under Western or scientific treatment. 82 per cent of all the deaths were in children under 5 years of age.
In this epidemic 716 cases were notified to the Medical Officer of Health for the first time when the Medical Officer in charge of the Mortuary reported the presence of a corpse dead of the disease. The great majority of these were dumped corpses.
The average case mortality rate for all countries in the unvaccinated of all ages is 25 per cent to 35 per cent, and for those of children under 5 years of age not more than 50 per cent. In Hong Kong the percentage of deaths to cases notified was 87.4 which shows that a number of cases escaped the notice of the authorities altogether. There were 854 deaths and even if it were assumed that all who died were unvaccinated and under 5 years of age the number of cases was not 977 but 854 x 2 or 1,708, which means that 731 or 42 per cent of the whole were successfully concealed.
Isolation of the sick, disinfection of premises and surveillance of contacts, such as carried out in most countries, being impracticable under the accepted policy, the only means of combating an epidemic was the pushing of vaccination.
Anticipating an epidemic, arrangements were early made with the Assistant Commissioner of St. John's Ambulance Brigade to conduct a vaccination campaign similar to that of the previous year. As before, each member of the Brigade was instructed in vaccination by the Divisional Surgeons and when pronounced efficient his name was gazetted as a public vaccinator for the period of the emergency. Booths were opened in the streets and markets and active propaganda advocating vaccination and revaccination was carried out and altogether excellent work was done. At the same time special efforts were made by the Government Vaccinators and at the hospitals and dispensaries.
Altogether 323,709 persons were vaccinated (as compared with 258,212 in 1928) of which 214,821 were done by the Brigade, 27,650 by the Chinese Hospitals and Dispensaries and 81,238 by the Government Vaccinators.
In previous campaigns great difficulty had always been experienced in obtaining permission to vaccinate young children, and this year a special effort was made in this direction with
- M 24
The total number of cases brought to the notice of the authorities during the year was 977 of which 854 or 87.4 per cent died. 186 cases were admitted to the Tung Wah Hospital for 'Chinese' treatment, which with 10 remaining from the pre- vious year made a total of 196. Of these 85 died making a death rate under Chinese treatment of 43.3 per cent. Altogether 35 cases were treated in the Government Infectious Diseases Hospital of which 4 died making a death rate of 11.4 per cent under Western or scientific treatment. 82 per cent of all the deaths were in children under 5 years of age.
In this epidemic 716 cases were notified to the Medical Officer of Health for the first time when the Medical Officer in charge of the Mortuary reported the presence of a corpse dead of the disease. The great majority of these were dumped
corpses.
The average case mortality rate for all countries in the unvaccinated of all ages is 25 per cent to 35 per cent, and for those of children under 5 years of age not more than 50 per cent. In Hong Kong the percentage of deaths to cases notified was 87.4 which shows that a number of cases escaped the notice of the authorities altogether. There were 854 deaths and even if it were assumed that all who died were unvaccinated and under 5 years of age the number of cases was not 977 but 854 x 2 or 1,708, which means that 731 or 42 per cent of the whole were successfully concealed.
Isolation of the sick, disinfection of premises and surveil- lance of contacts, such as carried out in most countries, being impracticable under the accepted policy, the only means of com- bating an epidemic was the pushing of vaccination.
Anticipating an epidemic, arrangements were early made with the Assistant Commissioner of St. John's Ambulance Brigade to conduct a vaccination campaign similar to that of the previous year. As before, each member of the Brigade was instructed in vaccination by the Divisional Surgeons and when pronounced efficient his name was gazetted as a public vaccinator for the period of the emergency, Booths were opened in the streets and markets and active propaganda advocating vaccina- tion and revaccination was carried out and altogether excellent work was done. At the same time special efforts were made by the Government Vaccinators and at the hospitals and dispen- saries.
Altogether 323,709 persons were vaccinated (as compared with 258,212 in 1928) of which 214,821 were done by the Brigade, 27,650 by the Chinese Hospitals and Dispensaries and 81,238 by the Government Vaccinators.
In previous campaigns great difficulty had always been ex- perienced in obtaining permission to vaccinate young children, and this year a special effort was made in this direction with
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