The Department of Health has revealed that four cases of measles have been detected in Gauteng and that all individuals are isolated and are recovering.
Minister Joe Phaahla called for calm and vigilance on Monday, as health authorities in the affected areas are working together to identify and conduct vaccination of contacts.
The cases were picked up during routine surveillance activities during the last two weeks of May and were confirmed through laboratory testing conducted by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
Phaahla urged parents to ensure that their children are up-to-date with their vaccinations in line with the vaccination schedule against measles and other childhood diseases.
“Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus which mainly spreads through infectious airborne respiratory droplets from infected persons when coughing or sneezing,” he said.
Three of the cases are individuals in Tshwane, and the fourth case is an individual in the West Rand.
Last month, the World Health Organization reported that worldwide measles cases increased by 79% in the first two months of 2022, compared to the same period last year.
“Almost 17 338 measles cases were reported worldwide in January and February 2022, compared to 9 665 during the first two months of 2021. As measles is very contagious, cases tend to show up quickly when vaccination levels decline,” said the organisation.
Measles symptoms include fever, red eyes, runny nose and cough which appear before the onset of the disease’s characteristic maculopapular rash.
Children may develop complicated measles which may include pneumonia, eye complications, and rarely, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
“The measles vaccine has been in use for almost 60 years and is the best protection against this life-threatening childhood disease. It is safe, effective and available free of charge at public health facilities,” Phaahla said.
According to the South African Expanded Programme on Immunization, children are given measles vaccines at 6 months old and 1 year old. These vaccines are available free of charge at public health facilities.
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund executive director, Catherine Russell, said in places where children are not receiving routine vaccinations, this creates the perfect storm for the spread of a disease like measles.
“Measles is more than a dangerous and potentially deadly disease. It is also an early indication that there are gaps in our global immunisation coverage, gaps vulnerable children cannot afford,” she said.