Jakarta, CNN Indonesia –
Despite the pandemic corona virus still ongoing to date, but implementation immunization the child still has to do.
Immunization is indeed important to prevent disease in children. But during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) said the coverage of child immunizations had decreased in 2020.
“Our immunization coverage has decreased for children and infants. We must also think about the coverage of immunization for children who are going to school such as elementary school children because the month of immunization for school children has not yet been implemented during the pandemic,” said the chairman of IDAI Aman Pulungan during the World Immunization Week discussion, Thursday ( 29/4).
In definitive terms, immunization is an attempt to form a person’s immune system (immunity) to be immune to disease. Immunizations can be given from infancy to childhood, some immunizations are also given in adulthood to prevent certain diseases.
Actually, the government through the Ministry of Health already has an immunization program for newborns and a schoolchildren immunization month program (BIAS). There are 6 basic immunizations that are usually given, according to the child’s age. There are immunizations for hepatitis B, BCG and polio, DPT, HiB, and measles. Hepatitis immunization itself is given several times at the age of 0 months, 2 months, 3 months, and 4 months.
In addition, there is also a follow-up immunization for ages 18 months-24 months which aims as a first immunization booster. Elementary school age children are also given back immunizations to create immune boosters that prevent disease.
Acting Director of Health Surveillance and Quarantine of the Ministry of Health, Dokter Prima Yosephine, said immunization was proven to prevent 2-3 million deaths in children every year. Immunization also helps prevent children from contracting diseases, and avoids the risk of antibiotic resistance in children.
Complete and evenly distributed immunization coverage will also establish herd immunity in an area so that it can provide health protection for children.
He also said that regions that do not immunize children are susceptible to disease outbreaks or extraordinary events (KLB). Meanwhile, currently Indonesia still has to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
“If children cannot get immunization in large numbers, in one place there will be an outbreak of a disease which could have been prevented by vaccination,” said Prima.
Disease that lurks if not immunized
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