Health Ministry responds to measles notification involving foreign national who travelled from Indonesia

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Health has received an official notification from Australian health authorities regarding a measles case involving a person with a travel history from Indonesia, and is coordinating with Australia and WHO Indonesia to ensure the response meets international standards.

Head of the Ministry of Health’s Bureau of Communication and Public Information, Aji Muhawarman, said in Jakarta on Sunday that the notification was made through the International Health Regulations (IHR) mechanism. The information was conveyed via the Australia IHR National Focal Point and has been verified and followed up by the Ministry’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC).

“Based on the information received, the case involves an 18-year-old female with a complete MMR vaccination history in 2009 and 2012. The individual travelled on Batik Air from Jakarta to Perth on 7-8 February 2026,” Aji said.

A rash appeared on 8 February in Perth and PCR results came back positive. One case with no fatalities has been reported to date. The individual, he said, is an Australian national who had visited Bandung.

He noted that the Australian authorities are still conducting further investigations into the case and have not yet provided more detailed information.

Additionally, the Ministry of Health together with the West Java Provincial Health Office is conducting an epidemiological investigation and strengthening surveillance in accordance with national measles response procedures. No additional linked cases have been reported to date. Surveillance remains heightened to detect any possible additional suspected cases.

“It should be emphasised that measles is still found in various countries and is highly contagious. Nationally, in 2025 there were 9,760 confirmed cases, and up to February 2026, 269 cases have been reported,” he said.

To date, he added, no national measles outbreak has been declared. Monitoring continues through active surveillance systems.

The ministry urged the public to ensure their measles immunisation status is complete and up to schedule, particularly for international travellers.

“Members of the public experiencing symptoms of fever and rash are advised to seek immediate examination at the nearest health facility, and those infected with measles should limit contact with others to prevent transmission,” he reminded.