Following a measles outbreak in Gauteng earlier this year, the Department of Health in the Free State is encouraging all parents to take their children to the nearest clinic for measles vaccines.
According to the departmental spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, the department is conducting a nationwide measles campaign, which will end on Friday.
“Parents are often unaware that measles can cause blindness, hearing problems, pneumonia, brain damage and even death, which is why it is important to have children immunized against the virus as their antibodies are often not strong enough to deal with the virus,” he adds.
Mvambi says he aim of the campaign is to reach as many children as possible over a wide geographic area in a short space of time, in order to increase the immunity levels of the population for measles.
Though the campaign primarily targeted at children, adolescents and adults are also encouraged to get immunized at the nearest hospital or clinic.
Manager at the child health and nutrition office at the Department of Health, David Bohlale, says as Measles is an airborne disease. It is highly contagious. Health organizations around the world struggle with finding cures for viruses such as the measles virus, which often manifests itself into other illnesses once it is in the body.
Because of this, it is important that adults and children are vaccinated to prevent the virus from attacking them. He also says every three years, the World Health Organisation makes recommendations to affected countries to embark on nationwide campaigns informing and educating members of the public on the dangers of measles and how to prevent getting the virus.
Common symptoms include coughing, sneezing, red/teary eyes and a red rash. Since the beginning of the campaign, which was on 12 June, only 60% of the children in the province have been reached.
Bohlale says the department had targeted to reach 95% of the children residing in each province, however, since the goal seems unattainable, he hopes 72% of these children will be vaccinated within the next two days, as the campaign ends on Friday. – Pulane Choane pulane@centralmediagroup.co.za
