Wednesday, September 6, 1972
PARENTS NEGLECTING ANTI-MEASLES CAMPAIGN
Figures released today by the Medical and Health Department show
that during the fourth week of the current anti-measles vaccination campaign,
only 1,631 doses were administered.
Of the total, 299 doses were administered to children on the Island,
831 in Kowloon, and 519 in the New Territories.
Since the beginning of the campaign on August 8, and despite widespread
publicity, only 6,764 children have been immunised against the disease.
"This is not good at all," said Dr. J.K. Craig, Acting Director of
Medical and Health Services, "and the relatively poor response suggests that
despite the efforts of all concerned, the success hoped for is not being
achieved.
"There are five more weeks to go, and I would like to urge parents
with children between nine months and five years to heed our warning that
measles could kill, and to have their offspring protected at the earliest
possible moment.
He repeated the advice given several times during this campaign that
measles was not "inevitable.' It was not true that children had to suffer this
disease as part of the ills of childhood. Measles could be avoided by vaccination.
"There are facilities in all the districts, both urban and rural, for
speedy immunisation," Dr. Craig told parents. "Please have your children
protected. It is in their interest, first and foremost. But you will also
be helping Hong Kong as a whole, because your gesture could help prevent any
future outbreak of the disease."
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