"Complete basic immunization coverage in 2020 is the lowest during the 2011-2020 period as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic," Yanuarso noted while opening the 2022 World Immunization Week Media Seminar virtually in Jakarta on Monday.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, 68 of the 107 countries experienced delays in routine immunization. Some 60 countries have postponed vaccine campaigns, especially for Polio immunization.
Based on data from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) and UNICEF, 80 million children aged less than a year were at risk of suffering from diphtheria, measles, and polio due to the decline in routine immunization services during COVID-19, Yanuarso pointed out.
He highlighted the same trend in Indonesia wherein the rate of routine immunization in all regions experienced a decrease during the pandemic.
Based on data from the Ministry of Health, some 800 thousand children throughout Indonesia were at greater risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases, such as diphtheria, tetanus, measles, rubella, and polio.
Based on Indonesia's Health Profile in 2020, the national complete basic immunization coverage had reached 83.3 percent or had not met the government's 2020 Strategic Plan target of 92.9 percent.
Yanuarso emphasized that immunization was an essential public health-based effort that is considered effective to provide specific immunity benefits against diseases that can be prevented by immunization.
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However, six provinces were able to meet the 2020 complete basic immunization target, specifically, Bali Province, West Nusa Tenggara, Central Java, East Java, Yogyakarta Special Region, and Jambi.
Through the momentum offered by World Immunization Week (PID) on April 24-30 2022, Yanuarso is optimistic that all people can understand about the importance of complete basic immunization in an effort to prevent illness, disability, and mortality in children.
"Hopefully, this World Immunization Week would have a positive impact on immunization coverage for Indonesian children," he concluded.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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