The Western Cape is seeing an increase in measles outbreaks in urban areas such as Khayelitsha, Mfuleni, Eerste River, Mitchells Plain, Kraaifontein and Wesbank.
The Western Cape Department of Health said the increase in measles cases was not unique to the province as South Africa was facing a decline in childhood-vaccination uptake, which posed a serious risk to public health and threatened the country’s efforts to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases.
This decline has contributed to multiple outbreaks of measles, rubella and diphtheria across the province, signalling serious gaps in population immunity, the department said. Measles is highly contagious and infects the respiratory tract. Symptoms include high fever, a rash, runny nose, conjunctivitis and coughing. Health-care practitioners can diagnose measles on signs, 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 we can curb the spread of this highly contagious disease,” a spokesperson for the department urged.
“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 two 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.
