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Diphtheria: Can we beat back the outbreak?
The diphtheria immunization rate among infants is 50-79 percent, while it should be above 90 percent. Aceh, Maluku and Papua are reported to be among the worst-performing provinces.
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Stay healthy: A baby cries as a health worker administers an antidiphtheria vaccine at a clinic in Cibinong, Bogor regency, West Java, on Dec.5. (Antara/Yulius Satria Wijaya)
W
ith 593 infections and 32 fatalities reported in 20 provinces since early November, the Health Ministry has declared that the country is in the midst of a diphtheria outbreak. It was found that 66 percent of those affected had not been vaccinated against diphtheria, while another 31 percent had only been partially vaccinated over the course of their life.
In 2010, the government classified diphtheria as one of 17 communicable diseases with high probability of an outbreak. Thus, the outbreak should not have come as a surprise to authorities.
Yet, the outbreak affects not only areas with restricted resources, like isolated islands or rural regions, where people have limited access to the diphtheriapertussis-tetanus (DPT) vaccination, but also urban settings like Jakarta, with Java being the most affected island.
As a response, the government is carrying out a free vaccination program in 28 provinces, including the three most populated and most heavily affected provinces of East Java, West Java and Banten. Will this be enough?
Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection in the nose and throat that can be deadly if not prevented or treated in time. It was perceived as a disease of the poor in the 19th century. In Indonesia, this ancient disease has now reappeared at a totally different stage of development, following its nonexistence since 1986.
Immunization, which should be easily accessible at local clinics, is the best protection against contracting diphtheria. The World Health Organization has reiterated that all children worldwide should be immunized against diphtheria.
The population of every country is expected to achieve timely vaccination with a complete primary series plus booster dose, as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) platform emphasizes in its target 3.8. However, considering that the current immunization coverage is lower than expected, the prospect of winning the battle against the disease remains a remote one.
