The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness urges parents to vaccinate their children.
An increase in measles outbreaks in the Northern Tygerberg districts in Cape Town has been reported by the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness.
The areas of the outbreak include Bishop Lavis, Scottsdene in Kraaifontein, Ravensmead, and Delft.
The Department’s Megan Davids said the increase in measles cases is not unique to the Western Cape, as South Africa is currently facing a decline in childhood vaccination uptake, which poses a serious risk for public health and threatens the country’s efforts to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases.
This decline contributed to multiple outbreaks of measles, rubella, and diphtheria across the Western Cape, signalling serious gaps in population immunity.
