Door-to-door vaccination reaches more under-fives
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Although many parents were reportedly reluctant to bring their under-fives for polio vaccination on Tuesday, the administration said on Wednesday that the number of babies vaccinated was much higher than its initial estimate.
"We are still collecting data from the five municipalities and one regency in the capital. The most recent information we have is that the number of vaccinated babies is around at 878,372," said Jakarta Health Agency spokesperson Zelvyno.
The agency estimated earlier the number of under-fives in the capital at between 700,000 and 800,000.
Zelvyno attributed the higher number of vaccinated infants to those receiving the vaccine in bus terminals, railway stations and slum areas who were not registered as Jakarta residents.
The highest number of vaccinated infants was reported by East Jakarta municipality with 262,216, followed by West Jakarta, South Jakarta and North Jakarta municipalities with 191,006, 184,336 and 145,229 children respectively.
The lowest number was reported by the Thousand Islands regency with only 2,461 babies, after Central Jakarta municipality with 93,124.
"We are continuing to count the number of immunized babies as we will start today with the door-to-door immunization checks, which will last for one week," Zelvyno added.
To curb the current polio outbreak -- which was first discovered early last month in Sukabumi, West Jakarta, some 60 kilometers south of Jakarta, the government has launched a mass immunization campaign across the country.
Even toddlers who were immunized earlier are given two drops of the oral polio vaccine. The government believes that the extra dosage won't harm the children. Those who are immunized will have the nail of their little finger marked with ink.
However, some parents are refusing to bring their children for vaccination, arguing that their babies were immunized recently in the hospital.
The first round of a national vaccination drive has been launched by the government in three provinces -- West Java, Banten and Jakarta -- with some 6.4 million babies being targeted.
The Ministry of Health revealed on Tuesday that many babies in remote areas had yet to be vaccinated as a result of difficulties reaching them and a shortage in vaccines.
The government is slated to carry out the second round of vaccination on June 28.
Indonesia had claimed to be free of the disease for 10 years after the government set up integrated health centers (Posyandu) in almost every neighborhood unit in the country during the Soeharto administration. Children were immunized in these posts against various diseases, including polio.
However, since the crisis struck the country's economy in 1997, the posts have drastically reduced their activities, leaving many children unimmunized.