"It has been going on for a week and progressing well. I do not have the exact figures yet, but we aim to achieve it before Eid," Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Thursday.
He explained that immunizations have been conducted in 50 districts/cities, with the goal of completing them before Eid as large-scale holiday travel could increase the risk of transmission.
"If children contract measles, or if an elderly person contracts measles and then travels, they could infect others," Sadikin remarked.
He mentioned that one person with measles carries the risk of infecting 12-18 other people.
"If we want to prevent transmission like COVID, 95 percent must have immunity through immunization," the minister continued.
He detailed that the acceleration is being carried out by community health centers (Puskesmas) and integrated health posts (Posyandu).
Previously, the ministry stated readiness to provide MR (Measles Rubella) vaccination services at homecoming posts to anticipate a rise in measles cases during the upcoming Eid holiday season.
The Acting Director General of Disease Control at the Ministry of Health, Andi Saguni, stated that his office is ready to anticipate travelers with children who have not received the measles vaccine.
"We have actually prepared measles vaccination services at homecoming posts. We have planned to open vaccination services at homecoming service posts," Saguni said on March 6.
The Ministry of Health recorded 10,453 suspected cases of measles throughout 2026, with an increase of 506 cases in week 8 compared to the previous week.
The ministry assured that the MR vaccine used for measles immunization is safe, as it has secured authorization from Indonesia’s Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) and passed thorough WHO evaluation, with only normal and short-term side effects anticipated.
Furthermore, the ministry's Director General of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, Lucia Rizka Andalusia, asked the public not to be concerned about the vaccines used in the national immunization program, particularly measles vaccines.
"There is no need to worry about the choice of vaccine used in the national vaccination program, as the Ministry of Health has conducted a thorough study in collaboration with the National Immunization Committee," she stated.
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Translator: Mecca Yumna, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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