Approval Granted: Ministry of Health Prioritises Measles Vaccination for Hundreds of Thousands of Healthcare Workers

The Ministry of Health (MoH) is prioritising measles vaccination for healthcare workers. This follows the issuance of expanded indication approval for the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine from the BPOM for the adult age group.

Director General of Pharmacy and Medical Devices at the MoH, Lucia Rizka Andalusia, stated that the step was taken to protect the frontline personnel who are at high risk of infection. The priority targets are 39,212 medical personnel and 223,150 healthcare workers in 14 provinces with the highest cases.

“Of course, with the outbreak, there is potential for transmission to high-risk individuals, in this case, the healthcare workers who work directly with patients, facing high risks,” said Rizka in a press statement in Jakarta on Thursday (9/4/2026).

In addition to healthcare workers in priority areas, vaccination will also be given to 28,321 general doctors and dentists undergoing internships across Indonesia. The total need for this adult priority group is estimated at around 290,000 doses.

Rizka assured that the needs are well met by the current national stock. Up to week 13 of this year, the MR vaccine stock is recorded at 9.8 million doses, sufficient for the next 5.5 months. The ministry is ensuring that stocks across all regions remain maintained.

“But not excessive so as not to risk the vaccine becoming damaged. Because we have a vaccine monitoring mechanism called SMILE through Satu Sehat Logistik, so we can monitor vaccine availability in all provinces, districts/cities to puskesmas, to health service facilities in real-time,” said Rizka.