Pretoria: Gauteng Health MEC Faith Mazibuko has urged parents and caregivers to keep children up to date on routine immunisations, warning that missing these critical vaccines leaves children vulnerable to preventable diseases that may have lifelong consequences. The call comes after visits to communities by the MEC and health teams revealed that a large number of children under the age of five have missed immunisations.
According to South African Government News Agency, this concerning observation is reflected in the province's immunisation coverage during the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, which remains below target, with 72% coverage among children under one year of age and 70.7% coverage for the second dose of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine administered at one year of age. Across Gauteng's five health districts, the West Rand recorded the highest coverage at 90.6% for children under one year and 86.3% for the second dose of the MR vaccine. However, other districts continue to face challenges in improving the uptake of routine childhood vaccinations.
Tshwane District remains the province's poorest-performing district, recording only 59.2% coverage among children under one year and 58.7% coverage for the second dose of the MR vaccine, followed by Sedibeng, which recorded 69.5% and 69.1%, respectively. These figures are concerning, as low immunisation coverage increases the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, leaving more children vulnerable, the provincial Health Department noted.
Mazibuko emphasised the role that parents play in ensuring the health of their children. She stated that the decline in immunisation coverage increases children's vulnerability to the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, which can result in severe illness, long-term complications, and even death. It is important for parents to ensure that children receive all scheduled vaccinations on time and complete their immunisation programme.
Parents are urged to utilise the Road to Health Booklet and bring it to every clinic visit. The booklet tracks immunisations, monitors growth and nutrition, developmental milestones, and oral health, ensuring that children receive the necessary screenings, preventive care, and health interventions.
Furthermore, children aged between six months to five years should be taken to healthcare facilities every six months to receive Vitamin A supplementation and deworming treatment, which are essential for supporting healthy growth, strengthening immunity, and preventing nutritional deficiencies and parasitic infections.
Parents are further urged to watch for symptoms of vaccine-preventable diseases, especially in children who have missed routine immunisations. Warning signs such as fever, rash, persistent cough, muscle weakness, neck stiffness, jaundice, severe headache, or seizures should not be ignored. Those who have lost their children's Road to Health Booklets should not be discouraged from visiting healthcare facilities. Healthcare workers are ready to assist and provide catch-up immunisations where required, ensuring that every child is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases and given the opportunity for a healthier and brighter future.