Surabaya – The awareness of the people of East Java for immunization seems to be still low. If this continues, East Java has the potential for an extraordinary event of disease that can be cured with immunization (KLB PD3I) from other outbreaks, besides Covid-19.
Tropical Pediatrics and Infection Expert, School of Medicine, Airlangga University Surabaya, Prof. Ismoedijanto said that until now, public awareness of carrying out Complete Routine Immunization (IRL) continues to decline. He compared it with last year’s low IRL coverage of 60-70 percent.
Young babies are very susceptible to dangerous infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus.
If IRL coverage continues to be low this year, then there is the possibility of another outbreak in the middle of the pandemic Covid-19. For this reason, Ismoedijanto asked parents not to be afraid of contracting Covid-19 during immunization.
Given that WHO provides tips on immunization for hepatitis B, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus that are safe during the Covid -19 pandemic.
“Young babies are very susceptible to dangerous infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, polio, diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. If parents are still afraid, immunization coverage is low. This is dangerous for PD3I sufferers,” said Ismoedijanto, in a webinar series on Optimizing Service Implementation. Immunization in the Covid-19 Pandemic Era in East Java, Friday, 18 September 2020.
Ismoedijanto asked the public to immediately complete their immunizations to strengthen the body’s immunity so that they are not susceptible to disease.
Meanwhile, the Head of the East Java Provincial Health Office, Dr. Herlin Ferliana, said that although immunization awareness was low, the percentage of Complete Basic Immunization (IDL) in East Java was higher, when compared to the national level. Where IDL East Java is 43 percent, but at the national level it is only 33.7 percent.
“IRL coverage in East Java has not met the initial target, which is 46 percent,” he said.
Herlin assessed that efforts to meet targets are not an easy job without support from the community. Given the population in East Java there are 40 million people. So the figure of 43 percent of 46 percent is not a small number.
“We continue to strive to meet the target,” he said.
Herlin said several districts in East Java were still in the Covid-19 red zone, such as Sidoarjo, Bondowoso, Blitar, and Mojokerto. As a result, immunization is hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, 34 regencies / cities with yellow and orange zones are estimated to be able to meet the target of 46 percent of immunization achievements.
The decline in immunization coverage has occurred since March 2020. Data on Universal Child Immunization (UCI) owned by the East Java Health Office recorded a decrease of up to 7.3 percent, namely January-June 2020. When compared to UCI coverage for the same period in 2019.
The Director General of Disease Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Achmad Yurianto, explained in a rapid situation study related to the impact of the pandemic on immunization services, which was distributed to vaccinators and immunization coordinators at 10 thousand health centers in Indonesia through social media networks.
Furthermore, 84 percent of the 5,329 respondents admitted that there were changes in immunization services in their respective provinces. From the data on national immunization coverage in June 2019 and 2020, data was obtained that there was a decrease in IDL coverage between 2019 and 2020, since March 2020.
The most significant decrease occurred in May 2020, reaching 35 percent. Yurianto asked that immunization services not be stopped, because it would be at risk of becoming a PD3I outbreak. That way, the PD3I outbreak in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic could become a double burden for the government.
“Immunization must still be completed according to schedule. However, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, immunization must be carefully adjusted to conditions. If vaccination coverage decreases, the level of community immunity to PD3I will also decrease,” he said.[]
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