Polio vaccination begins nationwide<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A volunteer at a health center in Utan Kayu (photo ebove), East
\nJakarta, gives a child a pollio vaccine. National Immunization Week
\nbegan Thursday, with officials hoping to give some 20 million children
\nacross the country pollio vaccine as well as vitamins.<\/p>\n
During the immunization program, the children will also
\nreceive a Vitamin A supplement.<\/p>\n
Some 3.5 million children living in isolated areas would also
\nbe immunized against measles.<\/p>\n
The second round of the PIN program will be on Oct. 8.<\/p>\n
Vice President Hamzah Haz officially inaugurated the program
\non Thursday at his official residence on Jl. Diponegoro. The U.S.
\nAmbassador Ralph L. Boyce also appeared during the launch as the
\nU.S. government is one of the donors of the program.<\/p>\n
The government has 248,599 immunization posts with 5 million
\nhealth workers, including 1,320 pediatricians, to serve 20.8
\nmillion children under five across the country.<\/p>\n
The immunization program will cost some Rp 104 billion, of
\nwhich some Rp 61 billion will come via grants from foreign donors
\nsuch as WHO, UNICEF, USAID, Rotary International, Aus AID, the
\nU.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and the Helen Keller
\nFoundation.<\/p>\n
The PIN centers are available at baby health centers
\n(Posyandu), community health centers (Puskesmas), state-run and
\nprivately-run hospitals, health clinics and strategic places like
\nbus and train stations, traditional markets, kindergartens and
\nchildren's playgrounds.<\/p>\n
Some non governmental organizations, especially neighborhood
\norganizations (PKK), will help conduct the program especially in
\nthe areas of conflict like North Maluku and Aceh.<\/p>\n
The North Maluku Health Governor Saleh Latuconsina was quoted
\nby Antara as saying that the PIN program in the province should
\nbe successful because he did not want a polio outbreak in his
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
Some 156,000 toddlers from 616 villages in the province would
\nreceive the polio vaccines at 12 health centers and 2,463 PIN
\ncenters.<\/p>\n
Separately, the Aceh Health Office head Cut Idawani said that
\nsome 7,553 PIN centers including traditional schools and
\nairports, would serve 390,338 toddlers in the province. She said
\nthat the volunteers from the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) would
\nalso help with the program.<\/p>\n
Most of the regions reported that their PIN program was
\nexpected to run smoothly, except for West Java's regency of Garut
\nwhich requested another 200 bottles of polio vaccines at the last
\nminute.<\/p>\n
Indonesia conducted national polio immunization drives in
\n1995, 1996 and 1997 which reportedly covered a total of 90
\npercent of the 25 million children aged under five years at that
\ntime.<\/p>\n
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Indonesia
\nhad to tackle between 25,000 to 60,000 cases of polio every year
\nbefore the polio immunization program. But there have been no
\ncases of polio reported in Indonesia since 1995.<\/p>\n
WHO, however, recommended that Indonesia conduct another round
\nof polio immunizations in 2002 as the country's neighbors like
\nIndia, Afghanistan and Pakistan were still not free from polio.
\nThe country hopes that WHO would declare Indonesia polio-free by
\n2005.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/polio-vaccination-begins-nationwide-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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