A remark by Indonesia’s health minister could undermine the routine immunisation programme - a key component in containing outbreaks of preventable diseases among children.
Routine immunisation coverage has already deteriorated in the past few years, say health specialists.
About half-a-million children in Indonesia receive no immunisation by their first birthday, a recent government survey stated, while another 2.4 million children are only partially immunised.
“Close to one in two children are not fully immunised by the time they reach their first birthday,” Anne Vincent, chief of child survival and development at the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), told IRIN in Jakarta. “The earlier a child is immunised, the better the protection,” she said.
In Indonesia, a baby dies every three minutes, with 460 dying every day, according to UNICEF.
Close to five million babies need routine vaccination for tuberculosis (TB), polio, diphtheria and Pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis B and measles each year, the agency says.
“We are very concerned about those numbers,” the UNICEF official said, describing the routine immunisation programme as vital in the country’s Millennium Development Goal of reducing child mortality.
Controversial remark
Her comments follow reports last month that Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari wanted to end vaccinating children against meningitis, mumps and some other diseases out of fear that foreign drug companies were using the country as a testing ground.
The minister reportedly wanted “scientific proof” that shots for illnesses such as pneumonia, chicken pox, influenza, measles and typhoid were “beneficial”, an Associated Press report quoted her as saying on 25 March.
“If not, they have to be stopped,” she reportedly said, declining to elaborate further. “We don’t want our country to be a testing place for drugs, as has been the case in Africa.”
The minister would, however, continue to advocate immunisation against measles, polio, diphtheria and Pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and tuberculosis (TB), the report said.
Possible impact
But such statements could cause confusion, not just among provincial health officials, but also among mothers themselves, many of whom are already unaware of the benefits of routine vaccination or fear possible side-effects in their children.
While more than 87 percent of infants are vaccinated against TB - the first vaccine given to infants - only 46 percent are fully immunised by the end the first year, the government survey reported.
Indonesia now ranks fourth globally for un-immunised children, after India, China, and Nigeria, and concern remains that despite significant progress, the country could regress.
“The number of children reaching their first birthday not fully immunised is extremely high,” Vincent said.
“This country has made significant progress in recent years,” she said, citing its response to a 2005 polio outbreak in which some 30 million children were vaccinated. “As of now, this country has been polio-free for three years.”
Moreover, by 2012, Indonesia will have eliminated maternal and neo-natal tetanus.
“Those fantastic achievements are not sustainable if the routine immunisation programme is not properly supported,” she said, noting that any confusion could seriously undermine immunisation efforts against TB, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B and measles.
“That’s one of our big concerns,” she said, adding, however, that the Director-General of Disease Control had reassured her there was no change in government policy.
As for the integration of new vaccines now in the pipeline - including the rotovirus vaccine that protects children against diarrhoeal diseases and another against pneumonia - Vincent hoped those too would remain on track.
“Those new vaccines could really cut the mortality rate of children under five by a significant percentage,” she said.
According to the 2009 State of the World’s Children Report, Indonesia’s under-five mortality rate is 31 per 1,000 live births.
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Routine immunisation coverage has already deteriorated in the past few years, say health specialists.
About half-a-million children in Indonesia receive no immunisation by their first birthday, a recent government survey stated, while another 2.4 million children are only partially immunised.
“Close to one in two children are not fully immunised by the time they reach their first birthday,” Anne Vincent, chief of child survival and development at the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), told IRIN in Jakarta. “The earlier a child is immunised, the better the protection,” she said.
In Indonesia, a baby dies every three minutes, with 460 dying every day, according to UNICEF.
Close to five million babies need routine vaccination for tuberculosis (TB), polio, diphtheria and Pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis B and measles each year, the agency says.
“We are very concerned about those numbers,” the UNICEF official said, describing the routine immunisation programme as vital in the country’s Millennium Development Goal of reducing child mortality.
Controversial remark
Her comments follow reports last month that Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari wanted to end vaccinating children against meningitis, mumps and some other diseases out of fear that foreign drug companies were using the country as a testing ground.
The minister reportedly wanted “scientific proof” that shots for illnesses such as pneumonia, chicken pox, influenza, measles and typhoid were “beneficial”, an Associated Press report quoted her as saying on 25 March.
“If not, they have to be stopped,” she reportedly said, declining to elaborate further. “We don’t want our country to be a testing place for drugs, as has been the case in Africa.”
The minister would, however, continue to advocate immunisation against measles, polio, diphtheria and Pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and tuberculosis (TB), the report said.
Photo: UNICEF/ EDY PURNOMO  |
| A student receives tetanus vaccination during UNICEF tetanus vaccine campaign to the students of Senior High School SMAN 1 Kepahiang, Kepahiang district, Bengkulu province, Indonesia on November 21, 2008 |
But such statements could cause confusion, not just among provincial health officials, but also among mothers themselves, many of whom are already unaware of the benefits of routine vaccination or fear possible side-effects in their children.
While more than 87 percent of infants are vaccinated against TB - the first vaccine given to infants - only 46 percent are fully immunised by the end the first year, the government survey reported.
Indonesia now ranks fourth globally for un-immunised children, after India, China, and Nigeria, and concern remains that despite significant progress, the country could regress.
“The number of children reaching their first birthday not fully immunised is extremely high,” Vincent said.
“This country has made significant progress in recent years,” she said, citing its response to a 2005 polio outbreak in which some 30 million children were vaccinated. “As of now, this country has been polio-free for three years.”
Moreover, by 2012, Indonesia will have eliminated maternal and neo-natal tetanus.
“Those fantastic achievements are not sustainable if the routine immunisation programme is not properly supported,” she said, noting that any confusion could seriously undermine immunisation efforts against TB, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B and measles.
“That’s one of our big concerns,” she said, adding, however, that the Director-General of Disease Control had reassured her there was no change in government policy.
As for the integration of new vaccines now in the pipeline - including the rotovirus vaccine that protects children against diarrhoeal diseases and another against pneumonia - Vincent hoped those too would remain on track.
“Those new vaccines could really cut the mortality rate of children under five by a significant percentage,” she said.
According to the 2009 State of the World’s Children Report, Indonesia’s under-five mortality rate is 31 per 1,000 live births.
ds/mw
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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