XN000022-1973-04-02 — Page 8

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Monday, April 2, 1973

The campaign is on a large scale, and during the nine weeks,

radio, television, and the cinema will be used to bring home the message that measles remains the last of the childhood diseases which has still to be controlled in Hong Kong.

Last year, the campaign was held between August and October. year, the time has been advanced in an attempt to "beat the heat."

"I am sure it is not difficult for us to understand that many children are born every year, and they are not all immunised, and are therefore susceptible to an attack of the disease," Dr. Choa said.

This

"These susceptible children not only run the risk of getting the disease themselves, but can also transmit the disease when they mingle with other susceptible children, either in their own family or in the community. "For this reason, immunisation campaigns are mounted every year

in order to prevent the disease from spreading."

Dr. Choa repeated that although measles was a common and perhaps

not a very serious disease, danger reposed in the complications that could arise from it such as bronchitis, pneumonia, middle ear infection, and encephalitis.

He strongly advised parents not to cling on to the erroneous belief that "every child should be made to go through an attack of measles instead of being prevented from getting it, or having it suppressed."

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