1.7 million Children Deprived of Complete Immunization

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA (BAH)

A student of SD Negeri Kaliasin 1 Surabaya, East Java, received a second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday (18/1/2022). The city government continues to boost participation in full childhood vaccines to support the face-to-face learning 100 percent.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a nationwide decline in health service, with around 1.7 million children not receiving a complete course of basic immunization in 2019-2021. The Health Ministry is reauthorizing Posyandu (integrated health services posts) to provide complete childhood immunization.

The coverage of basic childhood immunization shrank during the Covid-19 pandemic, with complete childhood immunization reaching 93.7 percent In 2019 and then falling to 84.2 percent in 2021 (Kompas, 12/4/2022).

“The majority [of Puskesmas/community health centers] shifted to Covid-19 vaccination. For example, around 1.7 million children did not receive a complete course of basic immunization during the 2019-2021 period,” Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a virtual media briefing to launch National Childhood Immunization Month on Thursday (12/5/2022).

Budi said the country had a limited number of Puskesmas with around 10,000 Puskesmas across 34 provinces, which was insufficient to provide health services for the total population of around 80,000 villages. Administering a complete course of basic immunization for 1.7 million children required health facilities that covered wide areas.

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“To expand service coverage, an order of around 300,000 health facilities needs to be fulfilled. We have observed that the [type of] health facilities that can reach such an estimate is Posyandu,” he said, noting that around 290,000 Posyandu existed across the archipelago.

Using Posyandu to administer childhood immunization programs was expected to reach remote communities. The move needed the support of regional administrations through the Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK) program staff.

“We are making sure that all Posyandu will have the capacity to provide this health service. They have workers. They will be equipped with the [necessary] facilities, infrastructure and equipment. One of their programs is immunization,” Budi added.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO (TOK)

A number of children aged 6-11 years at SD Negeri 11 Batu Ampar, Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, queue to receive the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Friday (1/14/2022).

The minister was coordinating with the Home Ministry to ensure the support of regional administrations in operating Posyandu. Posyandu services had declined around 70 percent during the Covid-19 pandemic, so they needed to be revitalized.

The Health Ministry is director general of disease prevention and control, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, said the first phase of National Childhood Immunization Month would commence this month with vaccination against measles and rubella targeting children aged 9-15 months in Aceh, Riau, Riau Islands, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.

Afterwards, the program would cover Bengkulu, Jambi, South Sumatra, Bangka Belitung, Lampung and all provinces in Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and Papua.

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The second phase is slated to commence in August and target children aged 9-59 months in Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Central Java and East Java.

“Bali and Yogyakarta are not [included] of they have already achieved ideal coverage,” Budi said.

The provinces with the highest immunization targets were West Java with 332,000 children, Aceh (179,000 children), North Sumatra (163,000 children), Riau (149,000 children), West Sumatra (116,000 children), and Jakarta (111,000 children).

“Ideally, 100 percent [immunization] can be reached. However, we have set a minimum target of 85 percent. This will not be very difficult, as long as there is serious effort and the support of regional administrations,” he added.

Immunization task force chairman Hartono Gunardi of the Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI) said immunization was the health service that was most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in countries around the world, including Indonesia. In fact, immunization was very effective at protecting children from preventable diseases during the pandemic.

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.