Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, has called for calm and vigilance after four cases of measles were detected in Gauteng.
These cases were found during routine surveillance activities aimed at detecting, investigating and responding to every suspected case of this vaccine-preventable disease.
In a statement on Monday, the Department of Health said that over the last two weeks of May, four suspected cases of measles from persons residing in Gauteng had been notified and ultimately confirmed through laboratory testing conducted by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).
Three of these cases are individuals residing in Tshwane, which means that the City of Tshwane is experiencing an outbreak of measles. The fourth case is an individual residing in the West Rand of Gauteng.
The department said that all four individuals are presently isolated and are recovering.
The health authorities in the affected districts and communities are working together to identify and conduct vaccination of contacts.
Minister Phaahla has urged parents and caregivers to ensure that their children are up-to-date with their vaccinations in line with the vaccination schedule against measles and other childhood diseases.
Children are given the measles vaccine at six months and 12 months of age.
These vaccines are available free of charge at public health facilities.
