The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness has warned that infant immunisation in the province has fallen to 67.4% - a 27.6% shortfall from the 95% target that public health experts use to maintain herd immunity.
According to the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, the decline has already produced tangible consequences. On 6 October health teams ran a mass vaccination campaign in Khayelitsha on the Cape Flats after 60 confirmed measles cases were recorded, a response designed to protect the youngest children.
Measles poses a real danger to unvaccinated infants because the virus can cause severe complications and hospitalisation. National surveillance shows measles activity has increased this year, adding urgency to the province's call for rapid catch-up immunisations.
Dr Heather Finlayson, senior specialist in infectious diseases at Tygerberg Hospital, urged parents to trust the long body of safety data behind routine vaccines and to bring children for catch-up doses if they have missed appointments.
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In a media statement she added, 'The World Health Organisation's Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) celebrated 50 years in 2024. Globally, vaccination prevents 4 million deaths each year. The South African Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) protects children from diseases that can cause school absence, hospitalisation, or death.'
The department is asking caregivers to check their child's Road-to-Health Booklet and take any overdue infants to the nearest public clinic, where routine vaccines are free. Health officials describe the effort as an immediate operational priority to avert further outbreaks and protect vulnerable children across the province.
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