Vaccination drive a shot in the arm for kids' health<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The first shots were given on Wednesday as the
\ncity opened its month-long tetanus and diphtheria vaccination
\nprogram for its nearly a million elementary school students.<\/p>\n
Minister of Health Farid A. Moeloek inaugurated the campaign
\nat state elementary school SDN 010 and Islamic elementary school
\nDarul Atfal in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta. The vaccinations are
\nadministered free-of-charge.<\/p>\n
Attendees at the ceremony included Minister of Religious
\nAffairs Malik Fadjar, Deputy Governor of Social Welfare Affairs
\nDjaelani and Thamrin Poeloengan, director of state-owned Bio
\nFarma Laboratories which manufactures the vaccine.<\/p>\n
Vaccinations will be held in 3,743 elementary schools with
\nabout 914,300 students aged between eight and 13 years.<\/p>\n
Nationwide, 7,195 community health centers (Puskesmas) are
\nadministering vaccines to 29.2 million students of 173,833
\nelementary schools.<\/p>\n
The campaign is jointly sponsored by the ministries of health,
\neducation and culture, religious affairs and home affairs.<\/p>\n
Diphtheria, caused by the bacterium Cornyebacterium, usually
\ninfects children under 15 years. It leads to respiratory and
\nheart difficulties and can be fatal.<\/p>\n
Tetanus is characterized by spasms of the voluntary muscles,
\nparticularly the jaw, and is caused by infection with the
\nClostridium tetani bacterium, usually through a wound.<\/p>\n
Vaccinations will be administered by registered physicians and
\nmedical assistants. The diphtheria vaccine will be given to first
\ngrade pupils, and the tetanus shot to second to sixth graders.<\/p>\n
Farid said the Rp 25.8 billion (US$3.22 million) campaign
\nprovided 6,160 vials of diphtheria vaccine, 127,180 vials of the
\ntetanus vaccine, 450 packets containing 22,500 reusable syringes
\nand 850,000 disposable ones.<\/p>\n
Priority<\/p>\n
Most of the budget is for the vaccine itself.<\/p>\n
\"Eighty percent of the total fund for the vaccination program,
\nor Rp 17.6 billion, is used for the vaccine procurement,\" Farid
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"A vial of tetanus vaccine contains 5 cc and costs a little
\nover Rp 2,000, while that for diphtheria contains 25 cc and costs
\nover Rp 9,000,\" Thamrin of Bandung-based Bio Farma said.<\/p>\n
\"Rp 25.8 billion divided by 29.2 million students equals less
\nthan Rp 800 per injection, so it is given free-of-charge.\"<\/p>\n
Some parents brought their own syringes, fearing that dirty
\nneedles might be used for the vaccinations.<\/p>\n
Lelly, the mother of a 10-year-old, said she was scared her
\ndaughter would be exposed to diseases if syringes were reused.<\/p>\n
\"I am scared. I heard they reuse it up to 20 times,\" she
\ncommented.<\/p>\n
Jane Supardi of the Directorate of Immunization of the
\nMinistry of Health dismissed the fear as baseless.<\/p>\n
She said reusable syringes equipped with a stainless steel
\nneedle would be reused but sterilized at high temperatures
\nbeforehand.<\/p>\n
Catching diseases due to the reuse of syringes was \"impossible
\nand had never happened\".<\/p>\n
\"Syringes with needles are steam-sterilized at up to 120
\ndegrees before being brought to community health centers,\" Jane
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"This does not only kill bacteria, but also any spores.\" (ylt)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/vaccination-drive-a-shot-in-the-arm-for-kids-health-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }