Government responds to Australia's measles notification from Indonesian travel history
The ministry’s Head of Communication and Public Information Bureau, Aji Muhawarman, on Sunday said that the notification was made through the International Health Regulations (IHR) mechanism.
The information was conveyed through the Australian IHR National Focal Point and has been verified and followed up by the Ministry of Health’s Public Health Emergency Operation Center (PHEOC).
“Based on the information received, the case is an 18-year-old female with a history of complete MMR vaccinations in 2009 and 2012. The individual traveled on Batik Air on the Jakarta-Perth route on February 7-8, 2026,” Muhawarman informed.
The rash appeared on February 8 in Perth, and the PCR test result tested positive. Currently, there is one reported case with no deaths. The individual, he said, is an Australian citizen visiting Bandung.
He added that Australian authorities are still conducting further investigation into the case and have not yet provided further details.
In addition, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the West Java Provincial Health Office, is conducting epidemiological investigations and strengthening surveillance in accordance with national measles management procedures.
To date, no additional related cases have been reported. Surveillance remains intensive to detect any potential additional suspected cases, Muhawarman pointed out.
“Measles is still found in various countries and is highly contagious. Nationally, 9,760 confirmed cases were recorded in 2025, and 269 cases were reported as of February 2026,” he continued.
To date, no national measles outbreak has been declared, and monitoring continues through an active surveillance system.
Muhawarman urged the public to ensure their measles immunizations are up to date, particularly for those traveling internationally.
“People experiencing symptoms of fever and rash are advised to immediately seek medical attention at the nearest health facility, and those infected with measles are advised to limit contact with others to prevent transmission,” he reminded.
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Translator: Mecca Yumna, Resinta Sulistiyandari