The City of Cape Town’s Health Department will join a national campaign from Monday to curb the outbreak of measles.
Campaign kicks off to halt measles outbreak
Officials from the City of Cape Town’s Health Department are joining a national campaign to curb a measles outbreak.
Read more: https://t.co/JaA8vH4IK5#CTNews pic.twitter.com/6mJlKAHtTw
— City of Cape Town (@CityofCT) February 5, 2023
Five measles cases have been reported in the Western Cape.
Symptoms include, fever, red and watery eyes as well as a rash.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Services and Health, Patricia Van der Ross, has urged parents and caregivers with children between the ages of six months and 14 years to have their kids vaccinated at one of the city’s clinics.
“Some children do not receive these vaccinations for a host of reasons. The result is that every few years there is an outbreak, sometimes even a full-blown epidemic. While we have a good vaccination programme in our country, to ensure adequate vaccine coverage and to prevent outbreaks or epidemics, vaccination campaigns, such as this one, are conducted.”
Spike in cases
The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) has warned that the measles outbreak in the country is spreading fast.
Just under two weeka ago, the outbreak had affected five provinces with at least 400 confirmed cases.
The NICD, along with the Health Department, first confirmed a measles outbreak after around 200 cases were recorded in December.
Christine Muhigana, UNICEF South Africa’s representative, elaborates below:
