Experts Urge Dengue Vaccination Amid Climate Change

Jakarta - Health experts are urging stronger efforts to prevent dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) through vaccination for children and adults, amid the rising risk of disease spread due to climate change and the El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to continue until the end of 2026. “When the weather gets hotter due to rising global temperatures, mosquitoes suck blood more frequently. If at normal temperatures a mosquito bites every five days, at higher temperatures the frequency can become every two days. This increases the risk of dengue transmission,” said Dr. dr. Sukamto Koesnoe, SpPD, K-AI, FINASIM, Chair of the Adult Immunisation Task Force of the Indonesian Society of Internal Medicine (PAPDI), on Friday. Sukamto explained that climate change affects the living patterns of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the dengue vector. The dry conditions that often accompany El Niño also encourage people to store water in various containers, which can become mosquito breeding sites if not managed properly. “Adults are not immune to dengue. In fact, they are in the productive age group and are the backbone of the family, so when they fall ill, the impact is felt by all family members,” he said. He added that dengue infection in adults can cause serious complications, especially in patients with comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To date, dengue treatment remains supportive, making prevention the primary measure. “Nearly 48 percent of cases occur in the age group under 14 years, and the 5 to 14 age group accounts for the highest dengue-related deaths,” he said. Hartono explained that the dengue virus has four serotypes, so a person who has been infected can still be reinfected by another serotype with a risk of more severe symptoms. He also reminded that the course of the disease can deteriorate rapidly when the patient enters the critical phase. Sukamto said the dengue vaccine has been recommended in PAPDI’s adult immunisation schedule since 2025 and, based on scientific evidence, can help reduce the risk of severe dengue and the need for hospitalisation.