The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness is calling on all parents and caregivers to ensure their children are fully immunised as the province prepares to launch its National Immunisation Catch-up Drive from 1 to 30 November 2025.
During this period, the department aims to close the immunity gap caused by missed vaccinations.
This follows a decline in infant immunisation coverage below the provincial 95 target, leaving many children vulnerable to measles, polio, tuberculosis TB, diphtheria, whooping cough, and tetanus.
The department is currently responding to a measles outbreak in Khayelitsha and providing a mass immunisation service at schools, preschools, and healthcare facilities to prevent the spread of the disease within the community.
The provincial department announced that healthcare teams are conducting contact tracing in response to a rise in diphtheria cases in the Cape Metropole.
"These diseases are preventable by ensuring that we improve our immunisation coverage in the province and provide herd immunity for the protection of our loved ones who are more vulnerable to getting sick," the statement read.
From 1 to 30 November 2025, all public health facilities across the Western Cape will offer free catch-up immunisation services for children who may have missed routine doses.