All Ages Must Be Alert, Measles Can Attack Adults

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Head of Communication and Public Service Bureau of the Ministry of Health (Ministry of Health) Siti Nadia Tarmizi asked people of all ages to be aware of the potential for disease transmission measles

The reason is, this highly contagious disease can also attack adults, although cases are usually dominated by children.

This vigilance also needs to be increased considering that there have been 55 Extraordinary Events (KLB) of measles in 12 provinces throughout 2022.

Also read: Ministry of Health: 58 Percent of Measles Confirmation Cases Affect Children Who Have Not Been Immunized

“All ages must be vigilant. Adults can also be infected, but mostly in children aged less than 5 years,” said Nadia when contacted Kompas.comFriday (20/1/2023).

Nadia said, one form of caution that adults need to do is to avoid children or other adults who have been infected first. The reason is, measles spreads through the wind and droplets.

Usually, he said, the period of transmission of measles occurs from 4 days before reddish spots appear on the skin (rash) to 4 days after emergence rash. The peak of transmission occurs when the initial symptoms (prodromal), namely during the first 1-3 days of illness.

Also read: List of 55 Measles Outbreaks in Indonesia, Spread over 12 Provinces

Even so, this disease can be eliminated by accelerating the measles and rubella vaccine, which starts at a young age.

“If the children’s immunity is complete, then there is group immunity. So there is no source of transmission,” said Nadia.

Meanwhile, on a different occasion, Plt. Director of Immunization Management of the P2P Directorate General of the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Prima Yosephine said the low measles vaccination in the country due to the pandemic had affected the high cases of measles.

Throughout 2022, the Ministry of Health received reports that there were 3,341 confirmed cases of measles in 223 urban districts in 31 provinces. This number has increased 32 times compared to 2021.

Also read: Measles Cases Increase, Measles Rubella Elimination Target in 2023 Difficult to Achieve

As many as 58 percent of confirmed measles cases were also suffered by children who had not received immunization.

There were only 7 percent of children who had received 2 or more doses of measles and rubella immunization, 5 percent had received 1 dose, and the other 30 percent had no known vaccination status.

“Most of the cases have never been immunized. Some have been immunized but not complete. Only a small portion is complete, while some are also not known for their immunization status,” said Prima in an online press conference, Friday (20/1/2023).

Prima revealed that the achievements of the National Childhood Immunization Month (BIAN) to pursue measles and rubella immunization have indeed decreased, especially outside Java and Bali.

Also read: Low Vaccination, Number of Children Infected with Measles Soars in Aceh

Of the target of 95 percent, only 60.13 percent of the realization of immunization within the framework of BIAN is outside Java-Bali. Meanwhile on the islands of Java and Bali the target of 98 percent has been reached, so that the national BIAN coverage reaches 72.2 percent.

“This means that there are still children who have not been able to find or do not have immunity against measles,” said Prima.

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