Department urges parents to vaccinate as rubella cases rise

The Department of Health is urging parents to ensure their children are vaccinated as rubella cases surge across several provinces, including Gauteng and the Western Cape.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases has reported a significant increase in rubella cases, raising concerns about the spread of this potentially serious disease.

Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale explains that rubella, also known as German measles, is an infectious disease caused by the rubella virus. “It is usually mild in children and adults but can have serious consequences for pregnant women by infecting their unborn babies, causing congenital rubella syndrome,” he adds.

“The disease primarily spreads through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing and can also be transmitted from mother to foetus during pregnancy.”

Rubella typically causes a mild illness in children and adults, characterised by a low-grade fever, rash, and sometimes joint pain. However, Mohale warns that it can lead to congenital rubella syndrome in the foetus, resulting in death, miscarriages, stillbirth, or severe birth defects in infants. The incubation period ranges from 14 to 21 days.

The department has received inquiries in recent weeks following the closure of schools in the Northern Cape after a rubella case was detected among learners.

“While proactive and effective measures to prevent the spread of the disease are always recommended, school closures should only be implemented as a last resort after all other measures have been exhausted,” Mohale says.

Children who develop symptoms consistent with rubella should be treated symptomatically and remain at home until they recover. Symptoms include nausea, sore throat, red eyes, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

“All suspected rubella cases should be reported to the nearest health facility or healthcare provider, who will notify the department through the Notifiable Medical Conditions reporting platforms,” Mohale urges.

The department is currently rolling out the measles-rubella vaccine as part of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation. This combined vaccine replaces the standalone measles vaccine and is administered at six and 12 months of age. In the private sector, rubella protection is included in the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, typically given between 12 and 15 months of age.