Govt plans vaccination drive
Govt plans vaccination drive
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
"Aku anak sehat, tubuhku kuat ..." (I'm a healthy, fit
child ...)
This almost-forgotten song composed for a past government
immunization drive will soon be heard again as the Ministry of
Health is planning another national immunization drive called
Pekan Imunisasi Nasional (PIN), starting in August.
"Following a recommendation from the World Health
Organization, we will carry out the program in several stages,"
Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari said on the sidelines of
an inauguration ceremony for new ministry officials on Wednesday.
In the drive, children under the age of five will receive free
complete vaccinations at local community health centers
(puskesmas) and integrated health service posts (posyandu).
The drive will be a follow-up of the current polio vaccination
drive in Banten, Jakarta and West Java provinces after a polio
outbreak in Sukabumi in March.
"This program will require more funding than the one carried
out in the three provinces," the health minister said, adding
that WHO and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) were
ready to help.
The last two-round polio vaccination campaign in the three
provinces cost around Rp 38 billion to protect 6.4 million
children.
The health ministry has also reminded the public about the
upcoming second round of polio immunization, set for June 28.
"Mothers should not be afraid to take their children to
vaccination posts as it is necessary to prevent polio from
spreading," she said.
Minister Siti Fadilah also assured the public that the
vaccination did not have side effects, as had been reported by a
non-governmental organization on health.
Earlier this week, parents and the Legal Institute for Health
(LBH Kesehatan) reported cases of post-immunization fatalities to
the police and have also filed a lawsuit against the health
ministry for supplying what it called bad vaccines.
In response, the health minister said that if an independent
investigative team proved the allegation false, the ministry
would be ready to countersue. (003)