South Africa sounds alarm as infant vaccinations plummet

South Africa has reported a significant drop in infant vaccination rates, with over a third of babies receiving no vaccines by early 2026, according to the country's health department. The rate of unvaccinated children under one year old has tripled from 12% in 2017 to 36% this year, posing a serious threat to public health. The department warned that this decline could lead to a surge in preventable diseases, reversing decades of progress in child health.

Nearly 400 measles cases, along with cases of rubella, whooping cough, and sporadic diphtheria, have been recorded in the past year, primarily among children aged 1 to 14. While vaccination coverage had been declining before the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation about vaccines played a part in the recent increase. Health officials are urging young parents to understand the importance of vaccination, as those who grew up in a time when diseases like measles were rare are now raising children.

Routine immunizations are free and available at public clinics, with the first vaccines administered at birth.