Tshwane encourages parents to bring their children for measles vaccination
The latest confirmed case in Tshwane was reported on December 30, namely a four-year-old boy from Hammanskraal.
Although there is no measles “cluster outbreak” in Tshwane, the municipality’s health department encouraged parents to have their children vaccinated before the schools reopened.
“While there is no indication of a cluster outbreak of measles in the area right now, the situation could change as cross-provincial travel is expected to increase before the reopening,” said MMC for Health Rina Marx.
She said parents and caregivers can take their children to local clinics and community health care centres for a measles vaccination.
A total of 14 laboratory-confirmed cases have been recorded in Tshwane since the declaration of the measles outbreak in South Africa by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).
The latest confirmed case in Tshwane was reported on December 30, namely a four-year-old boy from Hammanskraal.
Marx said the City implemented a measles vaccination campaign as a preventative measure, targeting children from the ages of six months to 15 in late December 2022.
“In addition to this, the City launched an awareness campaign to mobilise and keep communities informed through local radio stations and social media,” she said.
She added that the NICD has indicated that the current measles outbreak in South Africa is due to low vaccine coverage.
Measles is a highly contagious but preventable disease.
Symptoms include fever and a rash, cough, conjunctivitis (red eyes) and coryza (running nose). Complications can include diarrhoea, dehydration, brain infection (encephalitis), blindness and even death.
Measles complications are more severe in young infants who are under two years of age and in children who are malnourished.
“I would like to assure our residents that the situation is being closely monitored and our outbreak response teams stand ready to manage the situation and mitigate the spread as far as possible,” said Marx.
ALSO READ: Five measles cases confirmed in Tshwane
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