Health dep urges parents and caregivers to support child immunisation campaign
“The majority of the infected people by measles are between the ages of 1 and 15 years, hence the campaign is targeting all children between 6 months and 15 years.”
The national health department has appealed to parents to put their children’s health first by supporting the national child immunisation campaign against measles.
The Gauteng health department recorded its 60th measles infection on Thursday.
The department said in a media statement that the cases were as follows:
– 40 cases in Ekurhuleni
– 10 in Tshwane
– six in Johannesburg
– four in West Rand and none in Sedibeng.
It said over 906 226 children had been immunised across the province.
“Parents and caregivers are encouraged to sign consent forms permitting school health teams to administer measles immunisation to their little ones.
Parents with little ones who are not yet at early childhood development centres or schools can take them to their local clinics for immunisation.”
National health departmental spokesperson Foster Mohale said the department was working closely with the basic education and social development departments and others on a nationwide child immunisation campaign to vaccinate children at schools, centres and other public places.
He said the campaign was to ensure no child was left behind.
Mohale said measles vaccines were free of charge at public health facilities and through the school-based campaign.
He stressed that no learner would be immunised until parents or legal guardians had given permission by signing a consent form.
“Parents are strongly encouraged to provide this consent.”
Mohale said the country had recorded 506 laboratory-confirmed measles infections since the outbreak of this highly contagious disease.
Parents were reminded that it was, however, preventable.
He explained that the virus was mainly spread through infectious airborne respiratory droplets from infected persons when coughing or sneezing.
Measles symptoms include fever, red eyes, runny nose and cough which typically appear before the onset of the disease’s characteristic maculopapular rash.
“The majority of the infected people by measles are between the ages of 1 and 15, hence the campaign is targeting all children between six months and 15 years.”
“Unimmunised children are at the highest risk of contracting measles and infecting other classmates and household members.”
He also reminded parents and caregivers that although most patients often had mild and self-limiting infections, some, especially young children and pregnant women could develop complications such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, ear infections and eye complications.
“This could result in admission to hospital and, in severe cases, death.”
“Measles and HPV vaccines are safe and effective,” advocated Mohale.
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