Materia Medica Malaysiana

Malaysia battles measles outbreak

KUALA LUMPUR (dpa) - Malaysia is in the midst of a measles outbreak, a newspaper reported Saturday.

In the past six months, about 270 cases of measles have been reported at the government hospital in the capital city, The New Straits Times newspaper said.

The head of the hospital's Pediatrics Department, Dr. Hussain Iman Mohammad Ismail, warned that the country was in the midst of an outbreak. Middle-class children in urban areas were the most affected.

"Two children have died so far," Hussain told the Times. "Forty-five have developed measles pneumonia, and eight suffered serious lung damage."

He stressed the need for the public to be aware of the importance of immunising their children to prevent death and permanent health effects from the disease.

After the last outbreak in late 1999 and early 2000, which affected immigrant children, the health ministry launched an immunisation campaign, adopting a two-dose regime that had seen success in many countries.