A nationwide vaccination campaign began in Yogyakarta on Tuesday to help prevent the spread of measles and rubella, two viral diseases that can often prove fatal, especially in children.

As religious beliefs and false rumors continued to impede vaccinations in some parts of the country, measles and rubella remain very real threats to Indonesian children, prompting the government to launch a major vaccination campaign.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said the government fully supported the implementation of the measles and rubella (MR) immunization program to protect Indonesian children and to secure their future.

“I want to call on all parties to ensure that all Indonesian children aged 9 months to 15 years get the MR injection,” he said in his remarks during the launch of the MR Immunization Campaign at Madrasah Tsanawiyah Negeri 10 state Islamic junior high school in Ngaglik, Sleman regency.

Jokowi said very few Indonesian children had received the MR immunization, amounting to only around 0.05 percent, while ideally, 95 percent or even 100 percent of children should be vaccinated. “My message is: Don’t lightly take measles and rubella because they are dangerous to children. Without immunization, MR [in pregnant women] can cause birth defects to newborn babies,” he said.

The MR immunization is aimed at 34.96 million children. In the first stage, the immunization will be conducted in all areas across Java Island from August to September while for children outside Java, the vaccination program will be delivered in 2018.

“It is hoped Indonesia will be free from measles and rubella by 2020,” said Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani.

Commenting on opposition expressed by some communities, which claim vaccinations are not permitted for Muslims, Jokowi insisted the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) had ruled vaccination was mubah or permitted according to Islamic law. “Compared to its disadvantages, immunization has a lot more benefits.”

Based on Jember Health Agency data, 10 elementary schools, a madrasah (Islamic school) and two pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) with thousands of students were likely to reject the administration of MR vaccinations.

“We are handling the matter. The deputy Jember regent [Abdul Muqit Arief], together with the East Java Health Agency head [Kohar Hari Santoso] have directly monitored the situation in the field. We will continue to do this until all parties can accept the immunization program,” said agency head Siti Nurul Qomariyah

Despite the opposition the Jember administration is optimistic it can deliver the MR vaccine to 541,024 children in the regency, she added.

In Surakarta, Central Java, over 100,000 children got the MR immunization on Tuesday at hundreds of immunization posts.

Surakarta Health Agency spokesperson Effi S. Pertiwi said the administration proactively went to schools to deliver the immunizations. “So far no opposition has been reported from the schools,” she said.

Effi said the program targeted 145,930 babies and children. Dozens of officials had been deployed to publicize the program. She added that 715 schools ranging from pre-schools to junior high schools, as well as 1,230 MR posts would be involved in the program.

Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek said Java was selected to roll out the program because the number of rubella cases there was higher than average, with Central Java having the highest number with 93 cases.

“This is the second-largest campaign in the world after India,” Anuradha Gupta, the deputy CEO of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, said.

Popular

Is Indonesia really ready to embrace dual citizenship?

Tens of thousands seek better lives in Jakarta. But is the city losing its draw?

Elon Musk's Starlink granted licences to operate in Indonesia