Preventing Communicable Diseases in Boarding Schools, IDAI Urges Children to Get Complete Immunizations

Bisnis.com, JAKARTA – In the past few months, there has been an increase in cases of Special Incidents (KLB) of infection among children in schools and dormitories.

Therefore, the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) urges parents to stop and add vaccination which children need, especially those who attend boarding school.

The reason that children are more vulnerable to infectious diseases is because they are in close contact for almost 24 hours with friends at school or in dormitories and therefore the potential for transmitting infectious diseases is more height

A number of infectious diseases that tend to be transmitted in the school environment are smallpox, Varicella, Hepatitis A, and Hand and Mouth Disease. The spread of this disease can have a negative impact on children’s health and the teaching and learning process.

The Chairman of the Central Board of the Indonesian Pediatric Association, Dr. Piprim Basarah Yanuarso, SpA(K) said that infected children are not only at risk of health problems, but they can also spread the disease to their friends and the environment around.

“There are even several boarding schools that had to close their schools due to extraordinary events, which could indeed disrupt the learning process of the children,” he said in an official statement, Thursday (14/11/ 2024).

Some quality of life problems that children experience, for example, those who are sick with Hepatitis A. With severe liver dysfunction, they have to rest for a long time, up to several weeks, and this greatly hinders their learning process.

Therefore, the Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI) reminds us of the importance of effective preventive measures to overcome the problem of the spread of infectious diseases among school children, that is through vaccination.

“Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of disease among children. With vaccination, children can build strong immunity against a number of infectious and dangerous diseases. get the vaccine,” said Dr. Piper.

IDAI also requests the Government and health institutions to continue raising awareness among parents about the importance of vaccination and Clean and Healthy Living (PHBS).

“Furthermore, the implementation of vaccination programs in schools must be strengthened, including education about the benefits of vaccination and the implementation of PHBS. Then, cooperation and collaboration between schools, parents and health workers is very important to ensure a high coverage of vaccination, implement PHBS, maintain “The school environment is clean so that the health of the children to maintain,” he said.

Dr. Piprim also emphasized that the prevention of diseases in schools and dormitories is highly dependent on effective vaccination efforts.

“By increasing vaccination coverage and public awareness, we can protect our children from infectious diseases and create a safer learning environment. Together we guarantee the health of our children through vaccination,” concluded Dr. Piper.