As measles (rubeola) is highly contagious, anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated against it is at risk of the disease and its complications.
However, certain risks are greater for disadvantaged members of South African society, specifically those exposed to malnutrition, HIV prevalence and lack of adequate medical attention. Overcrowding may also play a role by exposing children to high levels of the measles virus.
Measles is usually more severe in infants younger than one year, a group in which successful vaccination is difficult to achieve. Allowing measles to continue to circulate puts such children at risk. Keep in mind that measles vaccination isn’t simply a matter of protecting one’s own child, but protecting others as well.
Reviewed by Prof Eugene Weinberg, Paediatrician at the University of Cape Town’s Allergy and Immunology Unit. April 2018.