How poverty and misinformation are jeopardising childhood vaccination rates in the Western Cape
A new study reveals why there is a lack of vaccinations among children.
Image: Supplied.
A new study led by the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has highlighted significant barriers to childhood vaccination in South Africa, including poverty, long travel distances to clinics, and the spread of misinformation, which are leaving many children vulnerable to preventable diseases.
The research suggests that these factors are directly contributing to lower immunisation rates, which has resulted in recent flare-ups of illnesses like measles and meningitis in parts of Cape Town.
The systematic review, titled “A systematic review on factors influencing immunisation adherence among children under 12 years of age,” was published in the Journal of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. It found that negative experiences in clinics, loss of income, living in a large family, and transport costs are all associated with lower childhood immunisation rates.
The Human Factor
The research was led by Dr. Bridgette Lockett from UWC’s School of Nursing, with co-authors Dr. Juliana Willemse from UWC and Dr. Rugira Modeste from Stellenbosch University’s Department of Nursing and Midwifery. The findings indicate that caregivers’ knowledge about vaccines vary widely, with much lower awareness in communities with lower levels of education.
Parental education was identified as one of the strongest factors in determining whether a child completes their full vaccination schedule. The study’s authors stress that the impact of these barriers is profound. Millions of children, particularly in countries like South Africa, still miss out on life-saving vaccines, “threatening progress towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 on health and well-being.”
Local Outbreaks Prompt Action
The findings come as the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness is actively responding to outbreaks of measles and diphtheria, largely driven by falling childhood immunisation rates. The department noted that it is responding to these challenges: “We are monitoring disease surveillance data to identify trends, clusters, outbreaks and areas that must be prioritised for target vaccination or outreach.”
In a concerning trend, 11 cases of meningococcal infection were recorded in parts of the city this year, including the Winelands and Overberg regions, mostly among babies under 12 months old.
Recommendations for Public Health
The researchers suggest that addressing these issues requires a multi-pronged approach. They recommend that health education programmes should be “tailored to different cultural contexts and educational levels, while healthcare workers need better training to address vaccine myths and build trust.”
They also urged that these efforts must be closely monitored to ensure they improve childhood immunisation and public health outcomes. Despite immunisation being one of the most effective and affordable public health tools, the study underscores the complex social and economic hurdles that continue to “stand in the way of childhood vaccination.”