Lestari Moerdijat Urges Prioritisation of Complete Basic Immunisation

Deputy Speaker of the MPR RI, Lestari Moerdijat, has reminded stakeholders of the importance of consistency in providing complete basic immunisation for children. According to her, all parties must seriously address this to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases like measles that threaten public health. Data from the Ministry of Health up to the eighth week of 2026 shows worrying figures. There were 10,453 suspected measles cases, with 8,372 confirmed as measles. Six people were reported to have died. In addition, 45 extraordinary events (KLB) of measles were spread across 29 districts and cities in 11 provinces. These areas include North Sumatra, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Banten, West Java, Central Java, DI Yogyakarta, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and Central Sulawesi. In response to this situation, the woman familiarly known as Rerie stressed the importance of collaboration among all parties. “Efforts to improve child health services must be a serious concern for all parties, to protect the nation’s next generation from the threat of infectious diseases like measles,” she stated in a written release on Friday (27/3). This legislator from Electoral District II of Central Java also highlighted the government’s ongoing mass immunisation programme in 102 districts and cities. According to her, this effort needs full support from the community to successfully curb the surge in cases. Rerie, who is also a member of the NasDem Party’s High Council, acknowledged that there are still several obstacles in implementing complete immunisation. Some of these include low parental understanding of the importance of immunisation, concerns about side effects such as fever, and the prevalence of hoaxes and negative issues surrounding vaccines. In addition, limitations in access and vaccine availability in some areas remain challenges. She hopes that all these barriers can be quickly overcome through close cooperation between the government and the community. In this way, the effort to produce a healthy and competitive next generation for the future can soon be realised.