The Department of Health has urged parents and caregivers to ensure their children are up-to-date with vaccinations, as South Africa joins the rest of the continent in commemorating African Vaccination Week.
African Vaccination Week, observed from 23 to 30 April, aims to promote the life-saving benefits of immunisation.
This initiative seeks to protect people of all ages from vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, polio and diphtheria, among others.
According to the department, vaccination remains the most cost-effective public health intervention to save lives and the first line of defence against many diseases.
African Vaccination Week is celebrated alongside other World Health Organisation (WHO) regions during World Immunisation Week (WIW).
Its goal is to enhance advocacy for improved access to vaccination throughout the life course.
According to WHO, immunisation prevents between 3.5 and 5 million deaths every year from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, also known as whooping cough, influenza and measles.
“Globally in 2023, 14.5 million children were missing out on any vaccination, so-called zero-dose children. It is for this reason that the department is working with provinces and other stakeholders to address immunisation gaps and improve vaccination coverage in the country,” WHO said in a statement.
The Health Department announced that it will leverage the 2025 campaign to enhance vaccination and surveillance efforts aimed at addressing immunity gaps in districts with low vaccination rates.
These areas have been identified as having a significant number of under-vaccinated and unvaccinated children, often referred to as zero-dose children.
According to the department, this initiative is part of the broader goal of preventing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
“Although 80% of children in South Africa have received all their vaccinations by the age of one year, this means that one in five children has missed one or more doses and is therefore not fully protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.”
The department said all vaccines contained in the National Immunisation Schedule are provided free of charge at all primary healthcare facilities across the country.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to check their child’s Road to Health booklet and take their child to a health facility for vaccination if the child is due for or has missed any doses.
African Vaccination Week 2025 is commemorated under the theme: “Immunisation for All is Humanly Possible”.
This theme aims to highlight the profound impact of vaccines on human health and their potential to achieve global health security.
The department is expected to host a webinar on Tuesday, 29 April 2025, as part of African Vaccination Week activities to strengthen awareness of the importance of life course vaccines and provide a continuous update on the new developments around vaccines in South Africa. – SAnews.gov.za
