During a visit to an integrated health post in Jayapura District, Papua Province, the president remarked that all toddlers and children in Papua should get a dose of polio vaccine during PIN, which has entered its second phase.
He then reminded residents of the danger presented by the polio virus to the nation's future generations.
"Toddlers and children who are not immunized are susceptible to paralysis because the polio virus might continuously attack their central nervous systems," he underlined while adding that the disease is highly infectious.
On that note, Jokowi affirmed that the government would continue to encourage all citizens, particularly those residing in Papua, to get their children a dose of the polio vaccine four times.
The head of state remarked that his administration had been striving to intensify polio vaccination in the wake of a worldwide increase in cases of the viral disease.
"We are pushing local health offices to boost the rate of polio vaccination in their regions," he pointed out.
Jokowi then urged the Ministry of Health and all regional health offices across Indonesia to take quick steps to protect the country's children from the paralyzing disease.
"I want all health offices at the provincial, district, and municipal levels to exert even greater efforts to encourage parents to get their children vaccinated in order to prevent paralysis," he remarked.
First Lady Iriana, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, and Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian accompanied President Jokowi on the visit to mark the 40th National Children's Day.
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Translator: Yudhi E, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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