BIAN is focusing on additional measles-rubella immunizations, and our target in Aceh is to reach 1.4 million children
Banda Aceh, Aceh (ANTARA) - The Health Office of Aceh noted that the province's coverage of measles-rubella immunizations during the 2022 National Child Immunization Month (BIAN) had only reached 17.4 percent, or 251,857 children.

"BIAN is focusing on additional measles-rubella immunizations, and our target in Aceh is to reach 1.4 million children," Head of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) of the Aceh Health Office Iman Murahman stated here on Saturday.

Murahman said the BIAN program in Aceh would end on September 13. The 17.4-percent figure is the final achievement that has been obtained by the provincial government through the Aceh Health Office.

The target recipients of the measles and rubella immunizations are children aged nine months to 15 years.


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Nationally, BIAN's achievement reached 56.6 percent. The 17.4-percent coverage has placed Aceh as the province, with the lowest measles and rubella immunization coverage during the BIAN program, which was launched last May.

Murahman said he deeply regrets the outlook of the people, who failed to make the most of the BIAN program, which is aimed at meeting the needs of measles and rubella immunizations for children.

The Health Office noted that 1,100 cases of measles were reported among children in Aceh in 2022. Thus, immunization is vital as a form of protection for children.

"Currently, there are as many as 1,100 measles cases in 2022, and the number is increasing," he remarked.

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Of the 1,100 cases, several patients have recovered, but there are also those, who are still receiving treatments in hospitals.

According to Murahman, some parents in the province do not want their children to get immunized, as they are worried about the side-effects after the injection.

"We have conducted dissemination frequently, but the community still does not want their children to be immunized against measles and rubella, although there are quite a lot of measles cases in Aceh," he remarked.


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Translator: Khalis Surry, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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