Tangerang targets 180,000 toddlers for measles immunisation

Tangerang Regency (ANTARA) - The Tangerang Regency Health Office in Banten Province is targeting at least 180,000 toddlers aged nine months to five years in the area to receive measles immunisation as an effort to suppress measles cases in Indonesia.

“We received a circular from the Ministry of Health through the Banten Provincial Health Office to carry out ORI (Outbreak Response Immunisation). This means we are immunising all toddlers from nine months to five years old regardless of their immunisation status,” said the Head of the Tangerang Regency Health Office, Hendra Tarmizi, in Tangerang on Thursday.

He explained that this additional measles immunisation is being given to all toddlers, whether they have previously received complete measles immunisation or not.

This, he said, is to enhance children’s immunity against exposure to contagious viruses.

“The aim is to increase our children’s immunity so that if there is exposure to the measles virus, they will be protected,” he stated.

“It will be implemented at all community health centres,” he added.

Meanwhile, for the distribution of these toddler measles vaccines, the Tangerang Regency Government has received an allocation of 180,000 doses from the provincial government in line with the determined target coverage.

“We have received the vaccines from the province; they have arrived in that amount. The allocation matches our target number,” he said.

Currently, Hendra noted, there are three sub-districts as the areas with the highest number of measles cases in toddlers. Based on data from January to March 2026, there were at least 140 cases.