Measles reported in KZN – vaccinate your children now
Vaccination is the most effective way of preventing measles and other opportunistic diseases that might affect growth development in children.
I Na bid to mitigate the possible spread of measles and other communicable diseases in the province, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has to urged parents to ensure that all children have a complete vaccination schedule.
This follows the diagnosis of a few isolated cases of measles in three districts: EThekwini, Umgungundlovu and Ilembe recently.
Although no cases have been reported in the Ugu district yet, parents are still urged to vaccinate their children.
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According to health spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi, measles is a viral infection, spread from person to person through saliva by coughing, sneezing or being in close contact with an infected person.
Symptoms include fever, a rash and flu-like symptoms.
Complications can include lung infection (pneumonia), diarrhoea, dehydration, blindness, brain infection (encephalitis) or death. Most people recover fully from measles, but complications are unpredictable. It is common in children but old people who have not received the measles vaccine can also be infected.
About 27 cases have been reported so far.
“The confirmed cases are of people between the ages of nine months and 51 years. The Department would like to once again encourage people to take advantage of the vaccination that is offered at public health institutions. This should be done urgently in order to avoid any further transmission of the virus.”
Vaccination is the most effective way of preventing measles and other opportunistic diseases that might affect growth development in children.
“Children are vaccinated against measles as part of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (SA-EPI) schedule at 6 months of age and again receive a booster at 12 months. At least 95% of people are protected from measles after the two doses.”
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