P.R.H. 7 (ARVISEDI 4000001
CONGTUNE DAILY GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
SERVICES BULLETIN
INFORMATION
Tuesday, August 8, 1972
MEASLES CAN BE A KILLER
The Director of Medical and Health Services, Dr. G.H. Choa, today appealed to parents to have their children between nine months and five years vaccinated against measles if they have not already been immunised.
He was speaking at a press conference at the start of an intensive nine-week campaign to impress upon the public two important aspects regarding measles:-
* It is almost the last of the infectious diseases of childhood
which still remains a threat in Hong Kong.
Though the disease in itself is not very serious, it can cause severe complications which may be fatal.
Dr. Choa recalled that in the last epidemic in Hong Kong between 1966 and 1967, about 1,000 children died as the result of complications such as bronchitis, pneumonia, middle ear infection and encephalitis.
He described encephalitis as capable of causing "permanent brain
damage and mental retardation even if the child recovers.'
Dr. Choa urged Hong Kong parents to accept what had already been well-established that measles epidemics could be prevented if all susceptible children were immunised against the disease.
"Large numbers of children born every year are not immunised," he said, "and are therefore susceptible to an attack. We must continue our efforts to
protect them."
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