Vaccination targets 22 million

Vaccination targets 22 million

JAKARTA: The government will target 22 million children under
five in next year's vaccination program.

Hadi Maryanto Abednego, director general of communicable
diseases control, said the drive would be divided into three
phases, with the first phase, an anti-polio drive, to begin in
early September.

The second phase, against polio and measles, would be held in
October while the third phase, anti-tetanus, would be held in
November. The government would set up 285,973 posts to support
the program, he said.

This represents an increase on this year's 275,000 posts,
including health centers, hospitals, schools, bus terminals,
airports, railway stations and harbors, he said.

Hadi said organizations mobilized to make the campaign a
success, would include the Armed Forces, women's groups, non-
governmental organizations, medical professionals and the private
sector.

He hoped the collective effort would enable Indonesia to
receive certification of polio-free status by 2003. Polio has
been eradicated in the Americas, Europe, Australia, Singapore,
Japan, Korea and Malaysia. (01)