Mass vaccination drive targets measles, rubella in West Rand schools
West Rand health officials have already visited over 37 schools in the district and stress the importance of parents signing consent forms and children receiving booster doses to protect against serious complications.
The West Rand District Health Services (WRDHS) kicked off their vaccination campaign against measles and rubella on August 4.
The manager for the expanded programme on immunisation for the West Rand, Yolandie Luther, said this programme will run until September 12. This comes after an outbreak of these viruses in Gauteng.
“Out of the two, measles is the most dangerous and is most likely to cause complications such as brain damage, blindness and even death. Luckily, we have had only two cases on the West Rand this year, due to the high immunisation in the area,” she said.
She explains the symptoms for these viruses include rashes that start on the face, fever and flu-like symptoms. The viruses can only be diagnosed through blood tests.
“Blood tests are free at government facilities such as hospitals and clinics, where they are usually very expensive at private facilities,” Luther said.
These viruses spread through droplets, which she explains are from coughing and sneezing.
“Thus, it spreads fast through schools and crèches, especially between children aged six months to 15 years,” Luther added.
The WRDHS’s campaign is administering vaccinations at every school on the West Rand, as well as government facilities, to curb the spread. She revealed they have done this at 37 schools so far, without incident.
However, she pleads with parents to sign the consent form, as they cannot vaccinate their children without it.
“If your child has already received it in previous years, we encourage them to get another one, as it does not matter how many you have had. The more you have, the more benefits, as it is extra effective against rubella,” she said.
Luther continued that women need to get the rubella vaccine.
“If you are pregnant and exposed to the virus, it can cause complications for the unborn child. With this campaign, our focus is not on adults; however, it is still beneficial for them. There are also private health facilities that distribute the government-funded stock,” she continued.
She concluded they are privileged to have such a good network with the private sector, schools and crèches.
