Health officials stress that vaccination most effective way to prevent Rubella
Amid a rise in cases of Rubella in South Africa, the Health Department is calling on parents and caregivers to ensure that their children's routine immunisations are up to date.
Photo: Unsplash/Diana Polekhina
CAPE TOWN - Health officials have stressed that vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent Rubella.
They are calling on parents and caregivers to ensure that their children's routine immunisations are up- to-date.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has alerted the Department of Health to a rising number of Rubella or German measles cases in various parts of Gauteng, the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Rubella, which primarily spreads through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing generally causes a mild illness in children and adults, characterised by a fever, rash, and sometimes joint pain.
In pregnancy, it also poses a potential risk to the developing baby.
Health officials said additional symptoms may include nausea, a sore throat, red eyes, loss of appetite and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
The Department of Health's Foster Mohale says they are rolling out the MR (measles-rubella) vaccine as part of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) nationwide.
He said this combined vaccine replaces the standalone measles vaccine and is administered at six and 12 months of age.
"In the private sector, Rubella protection is included in the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, which is typically given between 12 and 15 months of age."
Seasonal increases in rubella are typically seen in South Africa between August and December.