It is free of charge provided by the government at the nearest community health centers or immunization servicesJakarta (ANTARA) - The Health Office of Jakarta appealed to residents to immediately get their children immunized against measles in a bid to anticipate a nationwide surge in cases.
"What is most important is completing measles-rubella immunization immediately. It is free of charge provided by the government at the nearest community health centers or immunization services," Head of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Immunization section of the Jakarta Health Office Ngabila Salama stated here on Friday.
The appeal was conveyed since based on the latest data of the Ministry of Health, several regions in 12 provinces have declared the outbreak status for measles.
Salama explained that immunization is provided thrice: when the child is nine months old, when the child is 18 months old, and when the child is in the first grade of elementary school.
According to the office head, 75 percent cases of measles were recorded in children under the age of five, 20 percent in elementary school children, and five percent in adults.
"Thus, it is essential to search and complete measles-rubella immunization among under-five and elementary school children," she noted.
According to Salama, one of the factors that caused the increasing number of measles cases is the decrease in the coverage of measles immunization amid the pandemic from 2020 to 2022.
"In Jakarta, in 2022, measles cases have started to increase in September, October, and November and declined in December 2022," she remarked.
Based on the latest data from the Health Ministry, 34 districts and cities in 12 provinces have declared the measles outbreak status. Moreover, 10 districts and cities in eight provinces have declared the rubella outbreak status.
So far, Jakarta is not among the regions that had implemented the measles and rubella outbreak status.
Some of Jakarta's neighboring regions that have implemented the measles outbreak status are Bogor, West Bandung, and Bekasi.
Earlier, Head of the Communication and Public Service Bureau at the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, explained that the outbreak status could be implemented if a minimum of five cases of measles were reported in an area.
So far, the government has not planned to apply a nationwide outbreak status for measles.
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Translator: Dewa Ketut, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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