GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Although it has been a few months since the Garden Route reported a case of measles, the Western Cape Health Department is encouraging parents to ensure their children, aged between 6 months and 15 years, get the measles booster dose.
Nadia Ferreira, the district spokesperson, says the last positive case recorded in the Garden Route was in July 2022.
The department is making additional booster doses available for every child under the age of 15 from 6 February until 31 March. This forms part of nationwide efforts to contain outbreaks of measles such as experienced in several other provinces.
Five positive measles cases have been reported in the Western Cape to date, but they are not linked and do not meet the criteria for declaring an outbreak. However, parents and caregivers are encouraged to make use of the vaccination campaign and keep up with their children's immunisation schedule and being alert to the symptoms of measles, which is a preventable disease.
Parents of children under 15 who are not in crèches, day-care centres or public schools, are urged to take their child to their closest clinic.
The department will be visiting crèches, day-care centres and public schools through the integrated school vaccination programme to offer convenient and safe vaccinations. Parents will need to sign an informed consent form, sent by the education facility, giving permission for their child to receive the measles vaccination.
The vaccine provides lifelong protection against measles.
Western Cape Health Minister Nomafrench Mbombo says many children under 15 have been left without protection against measles and other vaccine preventable diseases, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Measles remains one of the leading causes of death among young children. It is particularly dangerous for children, who may develop severe complications such as pneumonia or brain swelling. Symptoms usually include fever, cough, red eyes and a rash. Measles is extremely contagious and is one of the most easily spread viruses that infect humans."
Sonia Botha, Western Cape co-ordinator of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), says the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) is also available, at cost, in private sector clinics and is equally effective and safe.
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