Illustration of diphtheria immunization. Photo: ANTARA
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KBR Jakarta- The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) asked local governments to increase immunization coverage at various levels. Director of Prevention and Control of Directly Infectious Diseases of the Directorate General of P2P of the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Siti Nadia Tarmizi reasoned that currently there was a decline in immunization in a number of areas.
“Currently we are experiencing a decrease in immunization coverage at all levels and at all types of vaccines or immunizations, and this makes of course immunity to disease can decrease and pose a risk of extraordinary events occurring in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Nadia said in a press release in a press release. online, Wednesday, (10/13/2021).
Director General of P2P of the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi added, efforts to complete routine immunization coverage need to be carried out, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because he said, apart from COVID-19, Indonesia also has a high risk of outbreaks of diseases that can be prevented by immunization, such as measles, diphtheria and polio.
Empty DPT Immunization Stock
Previously, there was a shortage of Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus (DPT) immunization stocks in a number of areas in Central Java. From the information gathered by KBR, there is a shortage of DPT in Semarang City, Semarang Regency, Tegal and Banyumas.
The Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) Central Java regrets the incident. Because, according to the Secretary of Central Java IDAI, Choirul Anam, the vacancy in the availability of DPT is feared to have an impact on the health of children under one year old.
“This kind of thing (the DPT vacancy) should not have happened because the government could have anticipated it. Because children will be the ones who will be harmed, what we fear the most is a spike in cases that can actually be avoided with vaccines such as diphtheria, tetanus, measles and hepatitis B. This is the empty one in the DPT, right,” said Anam to KBR in Semarang, Friday, (01/10/21).
According to Anam, in addition to affecting the baby’s health, the scarcity of the DPT vaccine will also disrupt the immunization schedule because there is a delay in immunization.
“The government should have anticipated before there was a shortage of DPT, yes,” he said.
He hoped that the government would be able to find a solution to the scarcity of DPT immunization in Central Java.
“Hopefully there will be more stock soon,” he added.
Editor: Sindu
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