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Measles outbreak confirmed in Ekurhuleni
The city of Ekurhuleni in Gauteng has reported a measles outbreak as 80 cases have been confirmed so far.
Measles, a vaccine-preventable disease, is characterised by a maculopapular rash and fever that typically manifests 3 to 5 days following the onset of respiratory-like symptoms. Complications, such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death, can arise from this disease.
In a statement on its social media platforms, the city of Ekurhuleni has urged residents to protect their children and the future leaders as it launched a measles and rubella vaccination campaign for children aged 6 months to 15 years.
The campaign runs until September 12, 2025.
- Children need to be taken to the nearest clinic for vaccination.
- Parents and guardians are urged to check the early childhood development (ECD) centres and school bags for consent forms.
- If your child’s school has not been contacted, reach out to the school nurse.
According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), historically, South Africa has faced significant measles outbreaks.
An outbreak occurred between 2003 and 2005, affecting all nine provinces and involving 1676 laboratory-confirmed cases. From 2009 to 2010, another national measles outbreak was documented, with 18 431 laboratory-confirmed cases.
In September 2022, a measles outbreak was declared in South Africa, affecting five of the nine provinces. The outbreak was declared in Mpumalanga on November 11, 2022. The province reported 118 laboratory-confirmed measles cases from November 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023.
Communicated by: ProMED-EAFR
Moderator Comments
Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease and is part of the recommended vaccines for routine immunization of children in any African countries. According to the World Health Organization, “herd immunity against measles requires about 95% of a population to be vaccinated. The remaining 5% will be protected by the fact that measles will not spread among those who are vaccinated.” Vaccination against measles is important in preventing morbidity and mortality due to measles.