Rapid increase in vaccine preventable disease in the Western Cape
The Western Cape is seeing an increase in measles outbreaks in urban areas such as Khayelitsha, Mfuleni, Eerste River, Somerset West, Mitchells Plain, Kraaifontein, and Wesbank. The increase in measles cases is not unique to the Western Cape as South Africa is currently facing a decline in childhood vaccination uptake which poses a serious risk for public health and threatens the country’s efforts to eliminate vaccine preventable diseases. This decline contributed to multiple outbreaks of measles, rubella, and diphtheria across the Province, signalling serious gaps in population immunity.
Ensuring immunisation coverage across the Province remains a top priority of the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness. Since October 2024, the Department has ramped up its immunisation efforts to protect young children from serious and life-threatening vaccine-preventable diseases. To ensure we can continue to protect our communities through our vaccination efforts, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness is working with the National Department of Health and SAHPRA to maintain sufficient measles vaccination stock.
The Department have implemented an early warning and response system to these outbreaks that includes strengthening coordination of the response, intensify disease surveillance, clinical management of cases, and community engagement. Targeted vaccination outreaches will be prioritised in the areas where we see a rapid increase in measles cases.
Protect your child from measles
Measles is a highly contagious disease that infects the respiratory tract. Symptoms of measles include high fever, rash, runny nose, conjunctivitis and coughing. Healthcare practitioners can diagnose measles on signs and symptoms and a blood sample collected for laboratory testing.
We ask that parents look out for measles symptoms and keep their children home when they have one or more of these symptoms so that we can curb the spread of this highly contagious disease. Should your child run a fever, feel sleepy or struggle to eat, take them to the nearest clinic immediately.
Potential complications of measles include pneumonia, diarrhoea, brain infection, and blindness. Complications are more serious in those who catch measles as young infants (under 2 years of age) and in children who are malnourished.
Free childhood vaccines are available at all public health facilities, and catch-up doses can be given if a child has missed a vaccination. Vaccines are also available through the private sector facilities and private-public partnerships.
We urge parents not to assume their children are immune. Help us protect our children by taking them for their routine immunisations and signing consent forms when our school vaccination teams visit their school.