TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – More than a year since one previous positive case, viral infection monkey pox (Mpox) was detected again in Jakarta. The number has multiplied much, namely 16 positive confirmed cases throughout this month, until Saturday 28 October 2023, with positivity rate PCR is at 44 percent.
Number of positive cases, and positivity rate PCR, it is not impossible to increase. As of last Friday, DKI Health Department Jakarta noted that there are still 11 other people suspected of having symptoms of monkey pox and 2 are classified as probable and awaiting PCR test results.
Acting Head of the DKI Health Service, Ani Ruspitawati, explained that all 16 patients currently confirmed positive are men, aged 25-50 years. Two of the cases were patients domiciled outside DKI Jakarta.
Head of the Epidemiology and Immunization Surveillance Section of the DKI Jakarta Health Service, Ngabila Salama, confirmed that all of them had mild symptoms. But he also added that all of them “got infected from sexual contact” and are in isolation treatment in hospital.
Ani said that every positive case of Mpox that is found is immediately isolated in hospital, even for suspects with typical symptoms or close sexual contact who are waiting for PCR results. They are also isolated in hospital.
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“We are synergizing with the Indonesian Ministry of Health, a number of efforts are being made, starting from early detection by looking at early symptoms so that they can be treated immediately and prevent death,” he said, Friday.
Meanwhile, close non-sexual contact will be monitored for symptoms every day by the District Health Center. If you have symptoms, a laboratory examination will be carried out.
However, Ani added, active cases of monkey pox were not only found in close contacts, but also in suspected symptomatic patients who came to health facilities. The majority of them come from cases of secondary infection and conditions of low immunity in at-risk groups, such as men who have sex with men (MSM), pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, children and the elderly.
For this group, the DKI Health Service is also carrying out preventive efforts by means of vaccination. The latest thing to be done is to prepare 1,000 doses of vaccine for a target of 500 people from risk groups in Jakarta over the next week as of Tuesday, October 24 2023.
The vaccine is given in two doses for one person with a gap between each dose of four weeks. As of last Friday, it was reported that the total number of vaccine recipients was 251 people.
The figure is still relatively far from the target, which is thought to be due, among other things, to the distribution of vaccines not yet reaching the health centers or vaccination location clinics as planned. This is as it turns out TEMPO at the Carlo Clinic in Salemba, Central Jakarta, and the Kebayoran Baru Community Health Center, South Jakarta.
Both of them revealed that there had been no monkey pox vaccination activities last Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Gambir Health Center, Central Jakarta, on the same day, revealed the existence of this activity. Unfortunately, the officers at the community health center forbade it TEMPO come in and do the coverage.
“The community health center does not allow vaccination participants to be interviewed because it is still within the scope of the community health center,” said Satrio, one of the officers. It is not known what the effectiveness of vaccine distribution and the response of recipients will be at that location.
Read the next page for details of the latest outbreak of monkey pox in Jakarta and Heru Budi’s claims
