Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla has announced that a national measles immunisation campaign would kick off nationally – but only in February 2023, this as measles outbreaks have now spread to four provinces, with a total of 137 laboratory confirmed cases reported by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
An outbreak was first declared in Limpopo on 11 October, with Mpumalanga announcing an outbreak on 11 November, as did North West on 2 December, where three cases were reported. Last Tuesday, three cases were reported by Gauteng, where an outbreak has since been declared.
The NICD said the age of cases countrywide ranged from two months to 42 years old, the dominant category being the five to nine-year-old group, reports News24.
Of the 137 cases, Limpopo and Mpumalanga reported 89 and 40 cases respectively. “Of the 137 cases, 98 had an unknown vaccination status, 17 were vaccinated and 22 were unvaccinated.”
In Limpopo, which currently has an immunisation campaign on the go, most cases were in the Greater Sekhukhune and Mopani districts, with 30 and 32 cases respectively. Waterberg district reported 19 cases. In Mpumalanga. Ehlanzeni and Gert Sibande districts have reported 25 and 14 cases respectively.
The outbreak in the North West was declared after three cases were reported in Ngaka Modiri Molema district. There has since been an additional confirmed case reported in the same district.
In Gauteng, three laboratory-confirmed cases were reported at a single health facility in Ekurhuleni.
TimesLIVE article – Measles cases rise as two more provinces declare outbreaks (Open access)
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Measles outbreak spreading across Limpopo, warns NICD