Health Department urges parents to prioritise child vaccinations

JOHANNESBURG - The Health Department is urging all parents and caregivers to ensure their children are up to date with their vaccinations.  

This Immunisation Week, the department says it will intensify its vaccination and surveillance activities to close immunity gaps in poorly performing districts.  

READ: World Immunisation Week: WC Health Dept says vaccines play key role in building population immunity

Many diseases are preventable and survivable when properly vaccinated against diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and diphtheria.  

Department spokesperson Foster Mohale said in 2023, 14.5 million children went without any vaccination.

"Vaccination remains the most cost-effective public health intervention to save lives, and it's also the first line of defence against many diseases. According to the World Health Organization immunisation prevents between 3,5 to 5 million deaths every year from vaccine-preventable diseases."