Urgent call for vaccination

MEASLES OUTBREAK

- HARRIET BOX

THE provincial Department of Health has intensified its public health efforts in response to a surge in measles cases across Gauteng. A public health expert from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has also urged a further scale-up of measles vaccinations to help curb the ongoing outbreak.

Prof Talitha Crowley, the Academic Division Head at the School of Nursing, said that vaccination coverage in the province, reportedly under 75%, is well below the threshold to prevent outbreaks.

“To prevent any measles outbreak, we actually need less than 5% who are not vaccinated in a community. In other words, 95% vaccination coverage.”

In Gauteng, a total of 181 laboratory-confirmed measles cases have been reported from 1 January to 13 June 2025, with many of these cases emanating from Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni districts.

She continued, “In Gauteng, districts with high numbers of zero-dose children – those who have received no immunisations – may experience a surge in cases.”