Measles Vaccination Focused on Children Aged 9 Months to 15 Years
Jakarta (ANTARA) — The chairman of the Indonesian Paediatricians Association (IDAI) central board, Dr. Piprim Basarah Yanuarso Sp.A Subsp.Kardio(K), stated that measles vaccination is being focused on children aged 9 months and above to strengthen children’s immune systems.
“Our focus is on children from nine months up to fifteen years of age, as this is the age group that has been most affected by measles to date,” Piprim said when met by media at the Jakarta Vaccination Centre on Thursday.
Measles and Rubella (MR) vaccination to prevent measles and rubella, in accordance with government programme guidelines, is administered at 9 months of age, with boosters at 2 years and 5 years of age. IDAI also schedules the combination vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) at 15 months of age with a repeat dose at 5 years.
Piprim emphasised that even if a child has received complete vaccination, including against measles, this does not mean they are 100 percent immune to the disease. If a child has been vaccinated, the severity of illness and complications are expected to be mild because immune protection has been established.
Children who have not completed measles vaccination become easily infected and can transmit the disease to other children, including those with chronic conditions such as congenital heart disease and kidney disease. Children with severe illnesses of this kind must be protected through a vaccinated community environment.
Piprim also noted that the resurgence of measles outbreaks reminds the public to complete their vaccination schedules urgently, as the disease is highly contagious and exceeds even COVID-19 in transmissibility.
“Immunisation coverage must be very high, above 95 percent, to maintain adequate community immunity,” Piprim said.
IDAI data showed that through week 7 of 2026, there were 8,224 suspected cases, 572 confirmed cases and 4 deaths. In 2025, there were 63,769 suspected measles cases, 11,094 confirmed cases and 69 deaths.