Gauteng Health Dept urges parents to protect children against measles outbreak

JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) is urging parents to protect their children against the ongoing measles outbreak.

Officials are calling on parents to sign consent forms allowing their children to be vaccinated at schools.

The six-week campaign began on 4 August and will run until 12 September this year.

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Since January, Gauteng has reported over 400 confirmed measles cases.

The Department said it is important for parents to understand that measles is a highly contagious disease that can lead to severe complications

Spokesperson Motaletale Modiba said, "The GDoH is concerned by the low immunisation coverage rates, which pose a significant risk to the health of children. So far, only 914,112 children have been vaccinated; however, a higher percentage of children could not be given the vaccine due to a concerning trend whereby parents or legal guardians are not signing consent forms.'