Umamah Bakharia | ub@radioislam.co.za

2 min read
19 January 2023 | 16:19 CAT

The department of health will be rolling out mass vaccination campaigns across the country in February after a measles outbreak was detected in Limpopo in October 2022.

Picture: CDC Public Health Image Library.

Measles being a viral infection in small children has enabled the department to call on parents to get their children vaccinated as schools open.

The largest number of cases have been recorded in children between the ages of 5 to 9, followed by the 1 to the 4-year-old group and then the 10 to 14-year age group.

“If they are not vaccinated, the chance of transmitting this disease is high within the classroom. Hence we are saying, all the parents let’s ensure that their children are up to date with the vaccinations in order to disrupt the transmission of measles in the classrooms,” says the health department’s spokesperson Foster Mohale.

Meanwhile, the Gauteng Health Department says its measles immunisation campaigns have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the department, the pandemic has decreased measles immunisation because of the negative stigma around vaccines.

However, the health department is urging parents to ensure that their children receive vaccination against measles.