T

he medical records of every infant, documenting their vaccine shots, are a precious source of hope that they will achieve healthy adulthood. Parents’ awareness of the need to take their infants for regular shots at health facilities, or to immunization programs at communities and schools, have helped curb preventable diseases and deaths across Indonesia, health experts say.

But the re-emergence of long-lost illnesses like polio has stoked fears among public health authorities and experts. Polio’s return, reported in 2005, was largely blamed on the crumbling of basic health services that were crucial for monitoring infants’ development through nationwide community-level integrated health posts (posyandu), established during decades of Soeharto’s centralized rule.

As such, the problems arising from the arrest of 13 men and women for involvement in the production and distribution of fake vaccines — in Bekasi, South Tangerang, Jakarta, Bogor and Subang in West Java — does not stop at the panic among parents regarding children’s health; it deepens distrust of authorities insisting on regular immunization.

The fake vaccines are thought to contain harmless infusion liquid and antibiotic gentamicin with 0.5 cc dose per immunization — but how are laypeople supposed to know for sure? Even before the arrest, health workers had already faced resistance from parents in developed and developing countries, including Indonesia, who feared the negative impact of vaccines on children.

Parents have not been given a thorough explanation of a few reports of sudden illnesses following administration of vaccines to infants. In Indonesia such resistance has worsened efforts to revive health services, including immunization, such as through posyandu.

Swift investigation and efforts to stop production and distribution of fake vaccines must be coupled with heightened monitoring of vaccine production and distribution. As with administration of medicines, authorities and physicians also need to provide clear and honest information on precautions regarding vaccines.

On Monday the Health Ministry guaranteed the provenance and safety of vaccines accessed at posyandu, local health clinics and government hospitals.

 The public has questioned furiously how the crimes continued for over a decade, with an unknown impact on vaccinated infants, while the ministry said counterfeit vaccines accounted for “no more than 1 percent of vaccines” in Jakarta, Banten and West Java.

Health experts said infection was a major fear given the likely unhygienic production process of the counterfeits, but the graver danger is the exposure of millions of infants to diseases that vaccines are supposed to prevent.

It is clearly inadequate to tell parents that infants are in no danger when they do not develop symptoms of fever and quicker pulse, for instance, within two weeks of immunization. Two weeks may be too late, particularly for those living far from adequate health facilities.

Failure to end the crime of profiting from endangering children, weak supervision and a lack of clear information regarding vaccines will further set back preventive measures against major diseases and death among children — as distrust of vaccines will add to public doubt of government commitment to prioritizing our infants’ wellbeing.