Sterner sanctions sought in polio vaccinations<\/p>\n
Remmy Faizal and
\nDamar Harsanto
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
As part of its efforts to free the capital of polio, the city
\nadministration said on Tuesday that it would deal firmly with
\nparents who refused to take their children to polio vaccination
\nposts on May 31 and June 28.<\/p>\n
\"We will impose sterner sanctions on those who impede the
\nimplementation of the vaccination program, including residents
\nwho decline to take part in the program,\" Jakarta Health Agency
\nspokesperson Zelvyno said.<\/p>\n
Zelvyno referred to Law No. 4\/1984 and Government Regulation
\nNo. 40\/1991 on measures to eradicate communicable diseases, which
\nstipulates that those found guilty of intentionally obstructing
\nsuch eradication programs could face a Rp 1 million fine or one
\nmonth in prison.<\/p>\n
Even those charged with unintentionally hampering the program
\ncould face six months in prison or a Rp 500,000 fine.<\/p>\n
She emphasized that the strict policy was aimed at preventing
\na polio outbreak in the capital, which is only about 60
\nkilometers away from Sukabumi, West Java where the first polio
\ncase was discovered early this month.<\/p>\n
According to her, at least 8,028 vaccination posts manned by
\naround 40,000 health workers would provide free polio vaccines to
\nall residents across the capital.<\/p>\n
A vaccination post will be erected in every three to four
\nneighborhood units, with four to five health workers stationed at
\neach post.<\/p>\n
The agency will also erect similar posts at bus terminals and
\nrailway stations to prevent the disease from entering the city.<\/p>\n
The agency so far has registered around 707,000 babies who
\nwill receive the vaccinations.<\/p>\n
\"We keep on updating the data to be more accurate,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sandjoyo, head of neighborhood unit 007 of
\ncommunity unit 03 in Menteng, Central Jakarta said he had ordered
\nvoluntary health workers in his neighborhood to announce the
\nvaccination program to the residents.<\/p>\n
Sandjoyo also said that he had told the health workers to
\nspecifically reach out to residents in densely populated areas in
\nthe neighborhood, adding that most slums were vulnerable to polio
\ninfection.<\/p>\n
Neighborhood unit heads are responsible for collecting data on
\nthe number of children aged five and below in their respective
\nareas.<\/p>\n
Health workers will carry out door-to-door visits to homes of
\nchildren who fail to show up on the vaccination days.<\/p>\n
The administration also requires all children who
\nhave received the vaccination recently to be reimmunized to
\nensure that the capital is free of polio. The side effects of the
\npolio vaccination, like diarrhea and fever, are rarely found. An
\noverdose of vaccination drops given to the children will do no
\nharm to immunized children.<\/p>\n
Pediatricians say that ideally a baby must receive a polio
\nvaccination three times in the first year and once every year up
\nto five years to really develop immunity.<\/p>\n
The agency reported 23 cases of acute flaccid paralysis as of
\nFriday, but so far not a single case of polio infection, which is
\ntransmitted through human feces and saliva, was reported in the
\ncity.<\/p>",
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