XN000022-1972-08-19 — Page 1

P.R.H. ↑ (ARVĖSE DI

4000001

FONG TRONG

DAILY

INFORMATION

INFORMATION

SERVICES BULLETIN

Saturday, August 19, 1972

ANTI-MEASLES CAMPAIGN

Dr. Choa Issues Third Warning To Hesitant Mothers

More than 780 children were immunised against measles during the

first week of the current nine-week anti-measles campaign a total the

Medical and Health Department regards as poor.

The Director of Medical and Health Services, Dr. G.H. Choa, said

today mothers of susceptible children should not allow the campaign to fail

by not bringing their children forward to be vaccinated.

In his third warning within 10 days, he said: "I wish to stress that

there is absolutely no need for any child to be exposed to measles, and the

danger of its accompanying complications.

"It is quite wrong for mothers to continue to adopt the attitude

that it is better for a child to have measles at an early age than later in life,"

He repeated that measles, by itself, was not a serious disease, but

the complications resulting from it could cause death, deafness, or mental

retardation,

Addressing himself directly to hesitant mothers, he emphasised: "Your

idea, that immmisation is only to suppress measles until your children get

older, is simply not true. I mentioned the other day that a "booster" dose

may be necessary at a later date because it is not yet certain that one dose

will provide a life-long immunity."

/Dr. Choa said