MPR urges government to raise public awareness on child vaccination

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Speaker of the MPR RI Lestari Moerdijat has urged the government to increase public awareness about the importance of vaccination for child growth and development. This must be done because many children still have not received early vaccinations to date. “Basic vaccination forms the foundation for every child’s growth and development, which determines the nation’s future direction, so efforts to increase public trust in basic vaccinations must be consistently carried out,” said Lestari in a press release received by ANTARA in Jakarta on Saturday. Based on data from the Indonesian Paediatric Society (IDAI) held by Lestari, it is stated that as of April 2026, more than 2 million children in Indonesia have not received basic immunisation or zero dose. This condition makes child growth and development in Indonesia suboptimal and vulnerable to diseases. According to Mbak Rerie, Lestari Moerdijat’s affectionate nickname, the low public awareness of child vaccination is caused by several factors, one of which is the prevalence of information often linked to issues of vaccine safety and halal status. This misinformation ultimately makes the public hesitant towards the government’s immunisation programme. Therefore, Rerie asked the government to strengthen grassroots health cadres so that the dissemination of information about the importance of vaccination can reach the lowest levels of society. Once the entire community is well educated on the importance of child vaccination, the government can then build decent health facilities in many places so that the public can easily find vaccination centres. Through these efforts, she hopes that child vaccination and immunisation rates in Indonesia can continue to increase. “Thus, strong group immunity is built as the foundation for realising a healthy and competitive future generation of the nation,” added Rerie.