Local volunteers offered cholera vaccinations by PMI

Local volunteers offered cholera vaccinations by PMI

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Although the situation in Aceh is slightly improving nearly three
weeks after the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster, diseases such as
cholera have posed a major threat to survivors and volunteers in
Aceh and North Sumatra.

Given this condition, volunteers have been urged to wear face
masks and plastic gloves as cholera is a waterborne disease that
can quickly spread.

The disease, which is caused by a bacterium called Vibrio
cholerae, could spread through infected people who use already
dirty water sources to clean themselves or dispose of waste.

Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) spokeswoman Aswi Nugroho told The
Jakarta Post that all of its volunteers were vaccinated against
cholera before leaving for Aceh.

"We have only vaccinated them against cholera, nothing else,
but we have also given them protection gear, such as masks and
gloves," Aswi said on Wednesday.

She said that vaccination was not the first priority in
preventing the diseases.

"The most important thing is that they watch what they eat and
drink, that the food is thoroughly cooked and the water boiled,
and that they wash their hands before eating," Aswi said.

She added that, so far, the PMI had sent more than 1,000
volunteers to Aceh, mostly medical workers.

She also said the PMI would work together with the government
and the World Health Organization (WHO) in organizing a cholera
vaccination program for children below 10 years of age in Aceh in
the next three months.

The cholera vaccine is a suspension of two strains of killed
cholera bacteria in a saline solution. It is only 50 percent
effective in preventing the disease and has a limited protection
period of six months to two years.

Indonesian Red Crescent (BSMI) Aceh medical team head Basuki
Supartono said that none of his volunteers had been vaccinated
against cholera.

He added that most of his volunteers were working at the BSMI
hospital, not helping with the evacuation process, so that the
risk of infection was smaller.

"We still require them to wear protection gear," Basuki told
the Post.

Jose Rizal Jurnalis of the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee
(Mer-C) concurred with the statement, saying that vaccination was
not an effective means of cholera prevention.

"It's easy to deal with cholera. You just give tetracycline to
the infected person and keep everything clean around you," he
said.

Jose said that none of his 70 volunteers were vaccinated
against cholera, although he added that it was actually not
necessary to do so.

The BSMI had not yet recorded any case of cholera in Aceh, he
said. "However, people there are still suffering from common
diarrhea and respiratory problems such as pneumonia."