XN000022-1974-02-14 — Page 5

Thursday, February 14, 1974

Dr. Thong urged parents to take advantage of this service to

help the department in its attempt to arrest the rising incidence of the

disease, and to prevent a possible outbreak of a full-blown measles eridenic

in Hong Kong during the remainder of this cold season.

He recalled that in 1973, of the 80,147 live births registered, only

25,020 children under one year were inoculated, or 31.2 per cent. Taking

account of other susceptible children who were also inoculated last year, the

total reached 48,205.

"This is clearly unsatisfactory," Dr. Thong said. "Parents must

be much botter than that, and the time is now."

He made a special appeal to parents in housing estates, because

of the 11 deaths recorded in January, six were from families living in

estates. Hecales being a highly infectious disease, he explained that only

inoculation could prevent it from spreading among children in large

concentrations of population.

Dr. Thong recalled that the last epidemic of the disease occurred

in the winter spring of 1966-67. Free anti-measles vaccine became available

on a year-round basis from December 1967.

Since then, the incidence of, and deaths from, measles had remaineù

low "due in part to the immunisation facilities."

Dr. Thong repeated the warning that although measles was regarded

by many people as a common childhood disease and perhaps not a very serious

one by itself, 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 persist in the wrong belief that

flevery 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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