TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsGovt steps up vaccination as measles outbreak in Indonesia spreads to Australia
According to the United States’ Global Measles Outbreak Tracker, Indonesia currently has the world’s second-highest number of measles cases, behind Yemen, which has reported 11,288 infections in 2026.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Health workers at the Pragaan community health center (Puskesmas) examine a measles patient on Aug. 27, 2025, in Pragaan, Sumenep, East Java. The Health Ministry recorded measles outbreaks in 42 regions between January and the third week of August, with nearly 3,500 confirmed cases nationwide. Sumenep accounted for over 2,000 of those cases, including 20 deaths, the highest figure in the country. (Antara/Rizal Hanafi)
I
ndonesia has intensified surveillance and vaccination efforts following a surge in measles cases nationwide, with outbreaks spreading beyond its borders to neighboring Australia.
Data from the Health Ministry shows that as of Feb. 20, the country had recorded 10,453 suspected measles cases since the start of the year, including 8,372 confirmed infections and six deaths.
The ministry has also identified 45 measles outbreaks across 29 regencies in 11 provinces this year, including in some of the country’s most populous regions such as West Java, Central Java, East Java, Banten and North Sumatra.
According to the United States’ Global Measles Outbreak Tracker, Indonesia currently has the world’s second-highest number of measles cases, behind Yemen, which has reported 11,288 infections in 2026.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the outbreak was largely driven by declining childhood immunization coverage, which he attributed to the growing influence of anti-vaccine misinformation.
“Some people are still reluctant to immunize their children because they are influenced by false information or hoaxes spread by anti-vaccine groups. In fact, vaccination has been proven effective in preventing disease and protecting children from the risk of death,” he said on Monday.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin warned that measles should not be considered a mild illness, as unvaccinated children can develop severe and potentially fatal complications.
