Childhood vaccination rates published by the Department of Health (DoH) may overstate the decline in immunisation coverage because of uncertainty about SA’s population estimates, reported Business Day (9 September 2026)
Zero-dose infants increased from 12% in 2017 to 36% by April, while Hexaxim coverage fell to 60.5%.
However, experts question these figures, citing questionable population estimates, reliance on vaccine doses procured rather than individual records and incomplete data on private-sector vaccinations. Uncertainty has also been fuelled by concerns about Census 2022 and limited reliable birth data.
The Department recently warned of an immunisation crisis, saying more than a third of infants under one had received no vaccinations.
However, it has since acknowledged that population figures supplied by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) may affect its coverage calculations.