Child immunization coverage tends to be underachieved during a pandemic.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Decreasing coverage immunization During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is the potential for outbreaks of a number of diseases that can be prevented by vaccination. “Consequence immunization coverage What is not achieved is the potential for outbreaks in cases of diseases that can be prevented by immunization (Diseases that can be Prevented by Immunization/PD3I),” said Director General of Disease Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health, Maxi Rein Rondunuwu, in a Hearing Meeting with Commission IX DPR followed from YouTube DPR RI in Jakarta, Monday (22/11).
He said that until November 20w1 there were 147 suspected reports of diphtheria with 90 specimens examined in the laboratory and 23 of them were confirmed. In addition, 54 cases of Measles and 91 cases of Rubella were reported. More than 80 percent of reports experienced patients with incomplete immunization status or unclear vaccination history.
He said the national immunization program had experienced success in 1980, including the eradication of smallpox, a polio-free certificate in 2006, the elimination of metarnal and neonatal tetanus in 2016. However, the national complete coverage of basic immunization until October 2021, he said, had only reached 56.5. percent of the target 78 percent of the target population.
Provinces that are close to the realization target include Bengkulu, Banten, South Sumatra, South Sulawesi and Bangka Belitung. Complete basic immunizations for children, including Hepatitis B, BCG, Polio, and DPT.
“From 2019 to 2020 there will be a decline, because it is related to COVID-19. However, the difference in numbers before the pandemic is not too far away,” he said.
Maxi added that there is a chance that the national immunization coverage in 2021 will increase because so far only 19 provinces have submitted reports. “This is what we pursue every week,” he said.
He explained that periodic surveys every five years have not provided an accurate picture of target achievement. Challenges faced by the immunization program during the pandemic, including the procurement of vaccines which were hampered by distribution to districts/cities due to full vaccine storage warehouses in the regions.
The strategy will be accompanied by the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and routine immunizations so that they do not accumulate in warehouses,” he said.
In addition, he said, health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic tended to concentrate on handling COVID-19 patients. The emergency pandemic situation also forced the posyandu service to close.
“We are also faced with the problem of people who have doubts about vaccines and have difficulty penetrating remote areas,” he said.
source: Between
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