I saw on social media that there were a lot of hoaxes related to vaccination for children
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy has encouraged to put in extensive efforts in every area to map the spread of mysterious acute hepatitis that causes severe symptoms.

"There is nothing (wrong) in being more (careful). As in, we do not just (sit around and) wait, but we actively seek for (more information of the patients afflicted by the disease) in every area to ensure that the (illness') spread had not reached a wider scope," the minister noted in a press statement during a virtual event accessed here on Thursday.

Effendy remarked that the efforts to track cases in each area were expected to provide opportunities to stakeholders in the efforts to prevent the disease early on.

The minister stated that the mysterious disease had started to become a topic of public discussion, and some individuals even abused the situation to spread hoaxes through social media channels.

"I saw on social media that there were a lot of hoaxes related to vaccination for children. If it is not addressed immediately, it could be counterproductive," he cautioned.

Effendy expressed confidence that the Health Ministry had taken immediate preventive and curative measures against the symptoms of acute hepatitis.

"Acute hepatitis with severe symptoms has become a global problem because it has occurred in several developed countries," he stated.

The minister said that the findings of severe acute hepatitis cases in Britain, the United States, Singapore, and several other countries were backed by technology to detect new diseases.

Indonesia's immediate response to the new disease demonstrated the state's concern for public health, he stated.

The case of mysterious pediatric hepatitis was first reported in England and Ireland on April 15, 2022, followed by other countries on April 23. The World Health Organization has listed the hepatitis of unknown cause under the Disease Outbreak News.

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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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