Declining Immunization During VOVID-19 Triggers Polio Outbreaks: Govt

DINAMIKA SULTRA.COM, JAKARTA – The shrinking of polio immunization coverage during the pandemic triggered outbreaks (KLB) in a number of regions, Head of the Public Communication and Service Bureau of the Health Ministry Siti Nadia Tarmizi said.

“Polio outbreaks occurred because, since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, 2021, 2022, the complete basic immunization coverage declined to 40–50 percent,” she explained.

“For decades, it was 80–90 percent,” she pointed out after attending the COVID-19 Pandemic Handling Awards here on Monday.

Indonesia has entered the polio eradication stage wherein the case count needs to be reduced to zero in all regions, she explained.

However, due to declining polio immunization coverage, the herd immunity that had been developed for decades through routine immunization has declined.

The ministry has reported a number of polio cases in Indonesia, including one from Purwakarta, West Java, and three from Pidie, Aceh.

In response to the cases, the ministry has once again intensified the National Child Immunization Month (BIAN) and the School Children Immunization Month (BIAS) this year.

The ministry has also formulated strategies to hold routine immunization of children to protect them from diseases that can be prevented through vaccination.

The first strategy has involved adding three types of routine immunization for children, thereby, taking the number of vaccines, including polio, from eleven to fourteen.

The added vaccines comprise the Rotavirus vaccine for diarrhea, the PCV vaccine for pneumonia, which is targeted at children, and the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer.

The vaccines have been administered to fifth and sixth graders at primary schools to prevent potential cervical cancer when children become adults.

The BIAN and BIAS program acceleration target in Java-Bali has reached 90 percent. Meanwhile, the target for people outside of Java-Bali is around 80 percent.

“We will see the vaccination coverage first. What is certain is that if there is an outbreak, we will conduct outbreak response immunization (ORI) so that children are immediately vaccinated,” Tarmizi said.

One of the challenges encountered in the BIAN and BIAS programs has been the rejection of vaccines by families due to fear of side effects and concern surrounding the halal status of the vaccine products.

“Most of the vaccines are halal, however, there are measles rubella (MR) mixtures that do not yet have a fatwa since those types of vaccines are not available,” she said.

Moreover, there is often false information or hoaxes concerning vaccines, she added. (ds/antara)