Health Ministry to open measles vaccination service at mudik posts
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Health Ministry (Kemenkes) is ready to open MR (Measles-Rubella) vaccination services at mudik posts to anticipate an uptick in measles cases during the Lebaran holiday season. Acting Director General of Disease Eradication at the Health Ministry, Andi Saguni, said they are prepared to anticipate travellers, especially children who have not received the measles vaccination. ‘We are ready to anticipate, so we have actually prepared measles vaccination services at mudik posts. We have planned to open vaccination services at mudik service posts,’ Andi said at the online press conference ‘Update on Measles Cases in Indonesia’ held in Jakarta on Friday. He further said they will target mudik posts with high visitor intensity, such as ports and airports. They have also asked the health quarantine offices within their jurisdiction to prepare these anticipations. Regarding vaccine availability, he said they have distributed MR vaccines down to provincial, district/city levels, so only coordination with the related health departments is required. Therefore, he called for synergy from all levels of local government to prepare this anticipation, considering mobility and large gathering activities as Lebaran approaches and during the holiday season. This condition, he said, increases the risk of a rise in measles cases in the future. Their observations show a pattern of measles cases increasing in recent years closely linked to long holiday periods, as they trigger community gatherings. ‘We note a link between case occurrences and celebrations involving gatherings. We see a five-year trend. Cases tend to rise at the beginning of the year, then fall, and then rise again around August, September, October, November,’ he said. He also urged individuals not to engage in gatherings or crowds if they have signs or symptoms indicative of measles. Individuals with fever or red rash should avoid contact with healthy people and isolate themselves at home.