Measles outbreaks spike across SA

SOUTH Africa is facing a sharp rise in measles cases, leaving thousands of children vulnerable as declining vaccination coverage creates gaps the virus can exploit. Multiple outbreaks have been reported across Gauteng, the Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, the Northern Cape, and the Cape Town Metro.

- WENDY JASSON DA COSTA and TRACY-LYNN RUITERS

The National Department of Health (NDoH) confirmed the flareups this week but emphasised that people who completed their childhood vaccination schedule do not need to be revaccinated. Foster Mohale, the department's spokesperson, said children in the public sector should receive two doses of the measles vaccine, delivered as the Measles Rubella (MR) shot at six months and again at 12 months.

"The outbreaks are due to sub-optimal vaccine coverage rates and possibly some waning of immunity in vaccinated children," Mohale said.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has confirmed the growing number of cases. Its data shows that in the first 45 weeks of 2025 - just over nine months - there were 1 795 laboratory-confirmed cases of measles, with 114 new cases reported in the past week alone.

Gauteng is the worst affected province, with 745 cases confirmed to date.

The Western Cape reported 52 new cases around mid-October, while the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health said yesterday that it does not have a measles outbreak.