Unfortunately, South Africa is continuing to see a surge of measles cases since October 2022. The virus is spreading in almost all provinces except the Eastern Cape (NICD, 2023).
The most affected age groups are 5-9 year-olds, but we shouldn’t forget about the little ones between 1 and 4 years old and our pre-teens (10 to 14yrs), who are also at risk (NICD, 2023).
The measles strain detected is similar to the one seen in Zimbabwe 2022 outbreak, so sadly we know that this virus means business. Primary healthcare facilities (clinics) are seeing the majority of cases, but hospitals are also seeing a lot of cases in children under one-years-old (NICD, 2023).
An Overview
✔ Since October 2022, the NICD has tested over 5335 samples for measles, with 865 (16%) testing positive for the virus (NICD, 2023).
✔ Eight provinces have declared an outbreak of measles, but Limpopo has seen the most cases (NICD, 2023).
The good news is that the number of cases are decreasing, but many children are still greatly at risk. So, get your kids vaccinated against measles to be certain they won’t get it.
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