Health and Wellness
With respect to the ongoing outbreak of measles:
- Whether her Department has put any interventions in place to prevent the further spread of the disease; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
- how many vaccination sites are currently administering measles vaccines in the prov-ince;
- whether her Department possess an adequate supply of measles vaccines; if so, what are the relevant details?
(1) The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness confirms that comprehensive public health interventions are in place to limit further transmission of measles in the province. These measures include strengthened coordination between provincial and district outbreak teams, with dedicated resources allocated for rapid response, vaccination, clinical management, surveillance, and logistics. A provincial measles outbreak alert circular has been issued to guide preparedness and response activities across public and private health facilities.
Enhanced surveillance is underway, with intensified case notification, active case finding, prompt laboratory investigation, and immediate follow-up of confirmed cases. Routine provincial measles situation reports are compiled to support evidence-based decision-making.
Health facilities implement isolation of suspected and confirmed cases, provision of Vitamin A, clinical sample collection, and adherence to clinical guidelines. At community level, confirmed or suspected cases are advised to isolate for five days after the onset of rash before returning to school or work.
To protect frontline staff, booster vaccinations are offered to healthcare workers, particularly those in outbreak-affected areas. The Department has also intensified risk communication and community engagement initiatives, including media briefings, radio interviews, social media messaging, and distribution of information materials. A provincial communication plan supports consistent internal communication with healthcare workers and external messaging to the public.
Rapid Response Teams vaccinate contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases and conduct targeted vaccination at schools and Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres to limit spread. Supplementary immunisation activities focus on under-vaccinated and zero-dose children at clinics, hospitals, and community outreach points. Catch-up vaccinations for children under 15 years are also provided across facilities.
The WCDHW is taking part in the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Catch-Up Drive from 3 to 30 November 2025, which aims to vaccinate children under five years who missed scheduled doses, including measles, and to provide Tdap vaccinations for children aged six and twelve years. Routine immunisation monitoring, defaulter tracing, and targeted outreach continue across all districts.
(2) Measles vaccines are available at all Primary Health Care facilities across the province. In addition, Department-funded NPOs, clinics, hospitals, and community outreach teams are actively administering measles vaccinations as part of the national EPI catch-up drive and ongoing outbreak response activities. This includes school-based and ECD-based outreach in affected sub-districts.
(3) The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness confirms that the province has an adequate supply of measles vaccines to support both routine immunisation and intensified outbreak response. Vaccine stock levels are monitored continuously at provincial and district level to ensure uninterrupted supply to all health facilities and outreach teams. Additional doses are procured through the national supply system when required to support targeted vaccination activities in outbreak-affected areas.
