Poor children to be immunized for polio

Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government urged parents from all walks of life on Tuesday to participate in the National Immunization Program (PIN) for polio on Sept. 12 and Oct. 9 by allowing all children under five years of age to be vaccinated.

Minister of Health Achmad Suyudi said that during the immunization program, the children would also get a Vitamin A supplement and children living in isolated areas would be immunized against measles.

"Children should get the polio vaccines regardless of whether their parents are homeless or refugees, or have no residential cards, such as those living in slum areas or in areas of conflict," he said during a press briefing at his office.

The government has provided 248,599 immunization posts to serve 20.8 million children under five years old across the country.

The PIN centers are available at baby health centers (Posyandu), community health centers (Puskesmas), state-run and privately-run hospitals, health clinics and strategic places like bus and train stations, traditional markets, kindergartens and children's playgrounds.

"The non governmental organizations, the National Police and the National Army will help us conduct the program especially in the areas of conflict like North Maluku and Aceh," Suyudi said.

Indonesia conducted national polio immunization drives in 1995, 1996 and 1997 which reportedly covered a total of 90 percent of the 25 million children aged under five years at that time.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Indonesia had to tackle between 25,000 to 60,000 cases of polio every year before the polio immunization program. But there have been no cases of polio reported in Indonesia since 1995.

WHO, however, recommended that Indonesia conduct another round of polio immunizations in 2002 as the country's neighbors like India, Afghanistan and Pakistan were still not free from polio.

"With the global trade and global travel, there is always a possibility of getting a reintroduction of a polio. Therefore we need to vaccinate children in Indonesia so they are properly protected against polio," Georg Petersen, the WHO Representative for Indonesia said.

He said that once polio eradication was achieved, Indonesians could be commended for the delivery of public health to every person regardless of race, sex, religion, economic status or geography.

Minister Suyudi said that the country hoped that WHO would declare Indonesia polio-free by 2005.

The immunization program will cost some Rp 103 billion, of which some Rp 63 billion will come via grants from foreign donors such as WHO, UNICEF, USAID, Rotary International, Aus AID, CDC Atlanta and the Helen Keller Foundation.

They will purchase the polio vaccines from drug firms PT Bio Pharma and distribute them to every provincial administration to be distributed to villages.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Pediatrician Association chairman Sri Rezeki S. Hadinegoro said that at least 1,320 pediatricians were ready to help with the program.

According to her, 75 percent of people stricken with polio never showed any significant symptoms. The mild symptoms that are associated with polio are fever, fatigue, headaches, vomiting, nausea, a stiff neck and pain in the legs.

Sri added that the virus could be present in the intestines for two months before it attacked the human nervous system.

"It paralyzes humans by attacking the central nervous system and can cause problems in the legs and/or respiratory problems. Some can suffer from total paralysis within hours or even die (after exposure)," she said.