The Gauteng MEC for Health, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, provides hands-on support to school health nurses administering measles immunisation to learners at Munsieville Ext 4 Primary School. As part of the integrated school health programme, hearing and eye exams were conducted as well. Picture: Supplied
JOHANNESBURG - While the country is in the grips of a measles outbreak, the National Department of Health (NDoH), the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said there is no need for panic and schools would remain open.
No fatalities have been recorded to date. The Gauteng Province reported 47 confirmed measles cases with 33 cases in the Ekurhuleni district, five from the Johannesburg district, eight from Tshwane and and one case from the West Rand district.
Limpopo recorded the highest number of infections at 167, North West Province stands at 157 and Mpumalanga at 97.
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by the measles virus. It affects children under the age of one and can also occur in older children, as well as adults who haven’t been vaccinated or who have not previously had the disease. Patients with measles present with fever, cough, runny nose, sneezing, red watery eyes and sore throat and with a rash.
The NICD tested 3,279 serum samples for measles since epidemiological week 40 (ending October 8, 2022) of which 506 (15.4%) were confirmed positive.
The NICD explained that in week four, the percentage of samples testing positive increased to 25% of the 330 samples tested, compared with a lower rate (under 10%) in week three of 2023. The institute added that while the data for week five looked lower, the data for this week was yet to be reviewed when all samples collected during week five had all been tested.
“In provinces where an outbreak has been declared, the most affected age groups are still the five to nine year olds (40%) with a considerable proportion of cases reported among the one to four (28%) and 10 to 14 age groups (17%),” the NICD said.
“Vaccination campaigns should therefore also include children aged 10 to 14.”
In addition, the majority of cases (73%) were reported from primary health-care facilities, and the highest proportion of cases reported from hospitals (52%) was reported in children under the age of one. Members of the public are urged to ensure their children are vaccinated against measles,” it added.
Professor of vaccinology at Wits University, Shabir Madhi, said while parents had the right to refuse vaccinations for their children, it could prove problematic.
"Parents do have the right to refuse. However, it would be unfortunate to compromise the well-being of their and others' children by refusing them to be vaccinated," said Madhi.
"We are experiencing outbreaks of measles in four provinces, and unless we increase population immunity levels, we risk the outbreak being further fuelled.
"This poses a risk to children who are too young to be immunised, and other immunocompromised individuals,” Madhi concluded.
DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the measles’s issue has been serious since last year when it first emerged. DoH has been working closely with the DBE and a range of stakeholders to address the matter.
“A lot of work has been done to prevent the spread of measles and indeed to protect children against it. There are weekly meetings to discuss progress and we will consider further measures that need to be put in place to protect everyone against measles,” he said.
Forms were sent out last week to inform and obtain consent from parents and guardians. The form is clear that consent is important. However, if you refuse, you should also be in a position to understand the risks and consequences of not protecting yourself or your child against the diseases.
Spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) , Motalatale Modiba, said they had intensified their outreach programme to create more awareness and to encourage parents and caregivers to make sure that their children are immunised.
MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, said the department was currently conducting a province-wide measles outbreak response vaccination campaign targeting children aged from six months to 15 years.
“The vaccination campaign for measles is taking place in health facilities from Monday to Friday. As of January 6, more than 620,000 children have been vaccinated at health facilities to protect them against measles,” she said.
The department will be working with DBE to roll out the measles vaccination programme to early childhood development centres and schools now that schools have opened.
The campaign will run until the third week of February.
Nkomo-Ralehoko added that measles infections are not localised to particular risk groups or geographical areas and can occur anywhere in the country.
Cases can be found in communities or in institutions like crèches, day care centres and schools. Measles is spread by contact with saliva or mucus droplets from the mouth or nose of an infected person when they breathe, cough, or sneeze.
Measles can be prevented by vaccination and the vaccine is included in the expanded programme on immunisations schedule in South Africa.
The Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa’s (Isasa) executive director, Lebogang Montjane, said he welcomed all reasonable health initiatives for children, adding that he was pleased that the government was taking the grave health threat posed by measles seriously.
“We are of the view that, for such initiatives to be successful, as many children as possible in the country should take part and that, irrespective of where a child attends school, the roll-out should include them.
“As a result, Isasa is reaching out to the Department of Basic Education to establish how we can assist in promoting this to schools in our association and to obtain more information about the timelines for this programme,” he said.