Measles vax for laaities

The Western Cape Government’s Health and Wellness Department is urging parents and caregivers to ensure that children have received their measles innoculation.

The call to action comes at a time when too many children are left unprotected from measles and other diseases, it said.

Sonia Botha, Western Cape coordinator of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, says delaying the vaccination makes kids vulnerable to disease.

“Since unvaccinated young children are at highest risk of measles and its complications, parents or caregivers can play a key role to help us prevent measles.

“Measles is preventable through a safe and effective vaccine, which children can access for free at public health facilities and at a minimal cost from public-private partners,” Botha said.

According to Tafelsig community activist, Cheryleen Fredericks, many parents fail to take childhood injections seriously and do not take their children to community clinics.

“It helps laaities that they don’t get sick and it protects them against sickness,” she says.

Measles is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family and it is normally passed through direct contact and through the air.

The virus mainly infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body.

Ayesha Alexander, who deals with young kids on a daily basis, says children should be vaccinated to protect them from this infectious disease.

“Measles are highly contagious. If one person has it, chances are that nine out of 10 people close to that person who are not vaccinated can be infected.”

She says children who are not immunised increase the risk of other children to get infected.

“Vaccines are safe and effective and are easily accessible at your local clinic and it provides protection.”

Meanwhile, from February 6 to 17, the health department will give additional booster doses to every child under the age of five.

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