Measles Cases Decline by End of March, Vaccination Efforts Continue to be Intensified
The Ministry of Health has reported a trend of declining measles cases starting to appear by the end of March 2026, after a sharp surge at the beginning of the year. This decline is assessed as the impact of the intensified mass immunisation implementation since early March.
Director of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) of the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, stated that measles cases peaked in the first week of January 2026 with 2,932 suspected cases and 2,220 confirmed cases.
“The decline began to be seen in week 10, and became more significant in weeks 11 to 13 or by the end of March,” said Nadia at the Denpasar 12 Discussion Forum on Wednesday (8/4).
She explained that this declining trend aligns with the implementation of Outbreak Response Immunisation (ORI) and catch-up immunisation that began massively since early March 2026 in various regions.
The ORI programme targets children aged 9 to 59 months without considering previous immunisation status, while catch-up immunisation is aimed at completing vaccinations for children with incomplete schedules. Implementation is carried out through integrated health posts, community health centres, early childhood schools, up to door-to-door approaches.
Nevertheless, Nadia reminded that immunisation coverage in several regions is still not optimal. In some areas with high cases, such as Tangerang Regency and Serang Regency, ORI coverage is still below the set targets.
“We still need acceleration because coverage in several regions has not reached the minimum target,” she said.
The Ministry of Health recorded 14 provinces with the highest measles cases throughout 2025 to 2026, including Aceh, East Java, Banten, and several areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Low immunisation coverage and vaccine refusal are cited as the main factors for the high cases in those areas.
In addition to accelerating child vaccinations, the government is also preparing the administration of measles-rubella (MR) vaccine for healthcare workers who are assessed to have a high risk of infection, especially in health service facilities.
The Ministry of Health has also instructed all regions to strengthen surveillance systems, increase immunisation coverage up to the village level, and ensure every measles case is reported within less than 24 hours.
“This decline must be maintained by ensuring even immunisation coverage and reaching targets, so that transmission does not increase again,” said Nadia.
The government hopes that with a combination of mass immunisation and strengthened vigilance, the spread of measles can continue to be suppressed and not develop into extraordinary events in various regions.
The West Java Health Office is striving to break the chain of transmission, increase immunisation coverage, and protect vulnerable groups, especially children, from the risk of measles complications.
The Health Office held simultaneous measles immunisation for children targeting 165,000 toddlers aged 9 months, 18 months to grade 1 elementary school equivalent.
The Palu City Government held the implementation of Outbreak Response Immunisation (ORI) which started on 1 April 2026.
The Palu City Government targets 32,935 toddlers to receive measles immunisation to prevent extraordinary events and strengthen children’s immunity.
The Tangerang City Government is preparing measles immunisation for 10,000 healthcare workers as a preventive step for transmission in health facilities.
The Ministry of Health is preparing measles vaccination for healthcare workers in 10 priority areas, awaiting BPOM approval for efficacy in the adult group.