No To Measles

Here’s the lowdown on this unpleasant disease – and what you need to know about vaccinations

- Pieter Van Zyl

OUTBREAK. It’s a word that instils panic; a word that reminds us of just how vulnerable we really are. Human beings might be able to climb mountains and travel into space but microscopic organisms invisible to the naked eye are still capable of invading our bodies, taking hold and using us as a breeding ground.

That’s what the measles virus does – it gets in through the nose or mouth and settles in the mucous membranes, multiplying and causing high fever, coughs, a runny nose, watery eyes and a rash.

It’s such a serious disease that the 29 confirmed cases in Cape Town earlier this year were enough to be considered an outbreak.

Last month there were six confirmed cases in Johannesburg – most of them in primary school children who hadn’t been vaccinated.

If you’ve ever wondered why vaccination is important, consider this: Measles is the most serious of the common childhood viral illnesses because its complications include diarrhoea (which can lead to severe dehydration); ear infection (which can lead to permanent hearing loss); encephalitis (swelling of the brain, which can lead to convulsions and brain damage); and pneumonia (which can be fatal).

After the recent outbreak in Cape Town, which affected mostly teens and young adults, the provincial department of health conducted a vigorous campaign to vaccinate more than 270 000 children.

In the affected areas, children up to the age of 15 were vaccinated. In the rest of the province vaccinations were pro vided for children up to the age of five.