Health Ministry Accelerates Measles Immunisation Before Eid 2026
In recent weeks, cases of measles and suspected measles have been increasing in Indonesia, with several regions already declared as extraordinary outbreaks (KLB).
The Ministry of Health currently records at least 10,453 suspected measles cases throughout 2026, with an increase of 506 suspected cases in the eighth week compared to the previous week last month.
As one of the anticipatory measures, the government is intensifying the provision of measles vaccines or immunisation. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that his ministry targets measles immunisation coverage to reach 95 per cent within one to two weeks before Eid 1447 AH/Lebaran 2026.
“Well, it has been running for one week now. I can see the penetration is going well. I don’t have the exact figures yet. But we are certainly pushing for this to be completed before Lebaran,” said Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin in Jakarta on Thursday (12/3) as quoted by Antara.
Budi stated that immunisation has already been implemented in 50 districts/cities. The target to be achieved before Lebaran, he continued, is because during mass migration, people move extensively, creating a risk of transmission.
“If children catch measles or if adults catch measles and then travel, they can transmit it to others,” said Budi.
He explained that one measles case risks infecting 12 to 18 other people.
“If we want to contain transmission like we did with Covid before, we need 95 per cent of the population to have immunity through immunisation,” said Budi.
This accelerated immunisation campaign is being conducted through community health centres (puskesmas) and health posts (posyandu). Budi noted that the Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian also expressed support for this measure.
MR vaccine services at inter-city transportation hubs
Previously, the Health Ministry announced it would open measles-rubella (MR) vaccine services at inter-city transportation hubs to anticipate the increase in measles transmission during the upcoming Lebaran holiday season.
During a press conference on Friday (6/3), Acting Director General for Disease Prevention of the Health Ministry Andi Saguni stated that his office was ready to anticipate travellers with children who had not received measles vaccines.
“We are ready to anticipate this, so we have actually prepared measles vaccination services at transportation hubs. We have planned to open vaccination services at inter-city transportation service posts,” said Andi during a press conference on measles case updates in Indonesia.
The Health Ministry guarantees the safety of MR vaccines in measles immunisation because they have obtained marketing authorisation from the Indonesian Food and Drug Agency (BPOM) and have undergone strict evaluation by the WHO, with side effects that are typical and temporary.
On the same occasion, the Director General of Pharmaceuticals and Health Equipment (Farmalkes) of the Health Ministry Lucia Rizka Andalusia asked the public not to worry about the vaccine selection used in the national vaccination programme, particularly for measles.