Why Fewer South African Babies Are Being Vaccinated – and What It Means for Your Family 

South Africa’s childhood vaccination rates have dropped sharply since 2021. According to the National Department of Health, first-dose coverage for babies under one year fell from 87% in 2021 to 67% in 2025, and coverage of the 6-in-1 (hexavalent) vaccine fell from 87% to 60.5%. Between January and April 2026, more than one in three babies under one year (36.3%) had not received a single vaccine – three times higher than in 2017. As a result, measles, whooping cough and diphtheria are showing up again in several provinces.

If you are not sure whether your baby is up to date, the good news is simple: it is almost never too late to catch up, and you do not have to work it out alone.

Written for Pretoria parents; relevant to families across South Africa.

What the numbers actually say

These figures come straight from the National Department of Health’s August 2026 statement and the Department’s own immunisation data:

What was measured

Before

Now

Babies under 1 with no vaccines at all


12.1% (2017)


36.3% (Jan-Apr 2026)

First-dose coverage, babies under 1


87% (2021)


67% (2025)

6-in-1 (hexavalent) vaccine coverage


87% (2021)

60.5% (2025)

Third dose of DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough)

Lowest since 2015

64.9% (2025)

Target needed to protect communities (WHO)

–


90%

Source: National Department of Health, August 2026.

In plain language: for a community to be protected, around nine out of ten babies need to be vaccinated. South Africa is now well below that, in all 52 health districts.

Why this matters for your baby

When fewer children are vaccinated, illnesses that most of us thought were gone start spreading again. This is already happening:

Measles:

3,462 laboratory-confirmed cases in South Africa since January 2026, with most (70.9%) in children aged 1 to 14. The NICD notes that communities become vulnerable to measles outbreaks once more than 5% of people are unvaccinated.

Whooping cough (pertussis): 

Cases in several provinces, mostly in babies under six months – who are too young to be fully vaccinated themselves.

Diphtheria:

Sporadic cases, mainly in the Western Cape.

Polio:

South Africa has been polio-free since 2014, but imported polio virus strains have recently been detected in wastewater in Cape Town.

The babies most at risk are the youngest ones, who rely on the people around them – and on their mom’s protection during pregnancy – to stay safe.

Why are vaccination rates falling?

There is no single reason. Government and partner data presented on the Department of Health’s Knowledge Hub point to a mix of things:

Why are vaccination rates falling?

There is no single reason. Government and partner data presented on the Department of Health’s Knowledge Hub point to a mix of things:

  • Vaccine stock-outs at clinics: more than half of facilities reviewed reported at least one vaccine stock-out in the previous three months, and provincial vaccine orders ranged from roughly 61% to 150% of what was actually needed.
  • Missed opportunities: babies visiting a clinic for something else, but not being vaccinated on the same visit.
  • Misinformation and worry: confusing or frightening messages online make some parents hesitate.
  • Busy, tired parents: the schedule is easy to lose track of in the early months.

None of this is about blaming parents. If you went to a clinic and were told to come back because the vaccine was out of stock, you are not alone – and it is worth going back, or finding another clinic that has it.

At our clinics we check stock before your appointment, so you are not sent home empty-handed.

What you can do today

  1. Open your baby’s Road to Health book. Check which vaccines have been given and which dates are coming up.
  2. If you have fallen behind, book a catch-up. It happens more often than you think, and catch-up schedules exist for exactly this reason.
  3. If a clinic was out of stock, do not skip the dose. Ask when stock is expected, or book somewhere that has it.
  4. If you are pregnant, ask about maternal vaccines. The https://adeledebeer.com/maternal-immunisation/ pass protection to your baby before birth, covering the weeks before baby can be vaccinated. South Africa’s National Advisory Group on Immunisation has issued a recommendation on the RSV vaccine in pregnancy.
  5. Ask your questions. A good nurse or doctor will never make you feel silly for asking.

How SR Adéle can help

SR Adéle offers calm, unhurried immunisation appointments for babies, children and adults at both Pretoria clinics – Mediclinic Kloof in Erasmuskloof and Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital in Muckleneuk. Every vaccine is recorded in your Immunisation book, your next appointment is booked before you leave, and we confirm it a day or two beforehand, so you do not have to keep track. Immunisation consults are claimable from your medical aid.

Phone tel: +27123674060, or email [email protected] or [email protected].

FAQs

According to the National Department of Health, first-dose coverage for babies under one fell from 87% in 2021 to 67% in 2025, and the 6-in-1 vaccine from 87% to 60.5%. In early 2026, 36.3% of babies under one had received no vaccines at all.

Usually not. Bring your baby’s Road to Health book to a clinic or to SR Adéle, and we will help you work out where you are and what comes next.

Do not skip the dose. Ask when new stock is expected and go back, or book at another clinic or a private practice that has stock.

Measles is the biggest concern, with 3,462 confirmed cases since January 2026. Whooping cough, diphtheria and imported polio virus in wastewater have also been reported.

Yes. Vaccines given in pregnancy, such as whooping cough (Tdap) and RSV, help your body make antibodies that pass to your baby through the placenta. Speak to SR Adéle or your doctor about timing.

Sources

  • National Department of Health – Media statement: Department calls for immediate national response to immunisation crisis (26 August 2026)
  • Department of Health Knowledge Hub – Africa Vaccination Week 2026: Recovering Routine Immunisation (UNICEF presentation using NDoH DHIS2 data, 29 April 2026)
  • National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) – Measles & Rubella updates
  • National Department of Health – National Advisory Group on Immunisation (NAGI) recommendations