Vaccines Are Considered To Protect The Future Of Indonesia's Young Generation

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Immunization is very important to build body resistance against certain diseases which is part of efforts to prevent it is better than cure. Immunization is a specific and cost effective public health intervention.

One of the massive immunization efforts the government has carried out is the National Immunization Week (PIN) program, which was started in 1995. At that time, PIN was a program to eradicate the polio virus.

"The oral polio vaccine in 1995-1997 was given to anyone, regardless of whether someone had been given the polio vaccine routinely or not. For those who have received routine polio immunization, then giving back the polio vaccine will strengthen their immune system. polio vaccine, it can be said to get basic immunization, "explained dr. I Nyoman Kandun MPH, Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) Advisor, in a statement received, Thursday, November 19.

He said this during the Productive Dialogue with the theme Learning from the Success of the Polio PIN, which was held by the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPCPEN), Tuesday, November 17.

The PIN was aimed at eradicating polio in Indonesia. The community needs to know the stages of handling infectious diseases, namely controlling, eliminating and eradicating.

"Controlling is reducing the incidence of infectious diseases. Eliminating is pressing down to a very low number, it can be up to zero, but the virus does not disappear. Eradicating means, in addition to reducing the transmission to zero, the virus can also disappear. For example, smallpox that is not found. again there is the smallpox virus so we can say that it is eradicating smallpox, "explained dr. Nyoman.

The coverage of routine polio immunization, which began in 1995, had decreased due to the impact of the multi-dimensional crisis in the 1998-2002 period. In 2002, the government did another PIN. In 2005 the wild polio virus was identified in Cidahu, Sukabumi, West Java.

"The handling of the polio virus in Cidahu has actually been carried out in a fast action known as sub PIN, so that the wild polio virus that enters Cidahu does not spread. But the virus has spread to Sumatra and other areas," explained dr. Nyoman.

The government then set it as KLB and returned to running the PIN. As a result, polio was successfully eradicated again in 2006. Then in 2014, the WHO gave the polio-free label to Indonesia. "Until now, no polio sufferers have been found caused by the wild polio virus. So what can be done to minimize the spread of the virus? Immunization coverage must be as high as possible, if necessary 100 percent," explained dr. Nyoman.

Immunization and surveillance consultant for the CDC Atlanta disease prevention and control agency, Indonesia office, dr. Jane Soepardi stated that immunization through vaccines has proven to be the most effective public health approach.

"In other words it has also been proven that without vaccines and immunization programs humans cannot win the war against the virus," said Jane.

The key to success to free Indonesia from polio according to dr. Jane is the support of government officials who have a strong desire to remove this virus from Indonesia. Apart from that, the support of sufficient health personnel and logistical resources also helps Indonesia to be polio-free.

"No less important, communication with the public through various media is carried out well so that immunization with appropriate vaccines can be accepted and proven to be an effective health approach," explained dr. Jane.

Furthermore, dr. Jane advised people who are not sure about the effectiveness of vaccines. Making vaccines is much more difficult and the conditions more difficult than making drugs. Because vaccines are for people who are still healthy, while drugs are for people who are already sick.

"Therefore, the main requirement for vaccines is safety. The target of vaccines is for healthy people to stay healthy and become immune to certain vaccines," he ordered.