West Java Provincial Government Mourns Death of Cianjur Doctor Infected with Measles

On behalf of the West Java Provincial Government, Governor Dedi Mulyadi has conveyed deep condolences over the passing of a young doctor who contracted measles while serving in Cianjur Regency. “I extend my deepest condolences; this is the highest form of dedication from a doctor, dying on the job. I urge the public to be increasingly vigilant about the dangers of measles. Relevant parties must promptly address the measles outbreak. The disease must be handled and guarded against immediately, especially since even the regent is a doctor,” he stated. For context, an intern doctor at one of Cianjur’s hospitals in West Java, initials AMW (26), passed away as a suspected measles case on Thursday (26/3). The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has issued Circular Letter No. HK.02.02/C/1602/2026 to hospitals, urging vigilance against measles, particularly for medical and health personnel. Kemenkes recorded 58 measles outbreaks in 39 regencies/cities up to week 11 of 2026. At the start of the year, cases surged to 2,740, but have since trended downward to 177 cases. Kemenkes is responding with Outbreak Response Immunisation (ORI) and Catch-Up Campaign (CUC) for measles in 102 regencies/cities, targeting children aged 9 to 59 months. ORI is emergency mass immunisation to halt outbreak spread, while CUC aims to complete incomplete immunisation status. The Head of the West Java Health Office, R. Vini Adiani Dewi, stated that coordination has been conducted with regency/city health office heads in West Java, especially in areas with significant measles incidents. “Yesterday, we held a meeting with all Health Office Heads; I emphasised that mapping must be done quickly, so when cases rise, CUC must immediately be conducted for those not yet immunised against measles. But if cases are numerous, it’s called ORI,” she explained. According to Vini, these activities are currently underway in all sub-districts of Garut and Tasikmalaya Regencies due to increased measles cases. Other areas are implementing CUC and ORI based on case findings per sub-district, such as in Cianjur. CUC and ORI activities will soon target 10 other regencies and cities in West Java comprehensively. The last national mass measles immunisation was in 2022. Subsequently, the Provincial Government continues routine annual vaccinations targeting toddlers up to children under 14 years old. “Those not yet immunised will be pursued, as around 102,000 children—data up to 2025—have incomplete immunisation. For adults, it’s hoped they do it independently,” she emphasised. Vini hopes the public will not be anti-vaccination and immunisation against measles to prevent future outbreaks. According to her, Garut and Tasikmalaya have relatively high measles cases due to low vaccination rates.