Pretoria - Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has called on parents and guardians of children under 15-years to ensure that their children are immunised against Polio and Measles.
Launching the National Polio and Measles immunisation campaign at Benoni West Primary school on Monday, Motsoaledi said parents who failed to get their children immunised were putting their children and the broader community at risk.
"According to the International Convention, every child has a right to proper health care and immunisation is part of that," said Motsoaledi.
He said by ensuring that children are immunised, parents are not only complying but helping to curb the outbreaks of such diseases.
The first phase of the campaign will see the first dose of polio for children from 0-59 months and the measles vaccine for children from 6 months to 15 years will be administered.
The second phase of the campaign will be conducted from 24 May 2010, when a second dose of polio drops and vitamin A and deworming medicine will be given.
More than one million children will be immunised in Gauteng during this campaign. Parents have been urged to sign consent forms and return them to the relevant schools and creches for their children to be immunised.
Meanwhile, in KwaZulu-Natal, Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said the province aims to immunise close to 3.1 million children.
"To be effective, the campaign must reach 100 percent coverage within this short period.
"We want to ensure that child deaths from infectious diseases are at an all-time low, polio should be eradicated and measles eliminated throughout the province," said Dhlomo.
