430 People In Jakarta Receive Second Dose Of Mpox Vaccine

JAKARTA - Head of the DKI Jakarta Health Service (Dinkes) Ani Ruspitawati said that currently as many as 430 people in Jakarta have received the second dose of Monkeypox (Mpox) vaccine injection.

Meanwhile, since the Mpox vaccination program was implemented in 2023, 495 people have been vaccinated with the first dose of a key population or high risk group.

"There are still 42 vials of vaccine that will be used as needed," said Ani in her statement, quoted Friday, August 30.

It was recorded that there were 59 confirmed cases of Mpox in the DKI Jakarta area for the period from October 13, 2023 to August 19, 2024. Meanwhile, based on the distribution of Mpox cases in Jakarta in 2024, there were 11 Mpox cases spread across eight sub-districts in Jakarta.

The cases were found in Ciracas, Grogol Petamburan, Jatinegara, Kebon Jeruk, Matraman, Pasar Minggu, Tanah Abang and Tanjung Priok. All cases are aged 21 to 50 years.

In detail, six cases were recorded in January 2024, followed by three cases in February 2024. In May and June 2024, each recorded one case, but both cases occurred outside Jakarta.

"The DKI Jakarta Health Office continues to implement a preventive system against Mpox, including health promotions related to prevention and transmission of Mpox, reporting case findings through hospitals and health centers, as well as studies of control cases that provide recommendations for handling," said Ani.

Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin conveyed the government's plan to bring in 1,600 additional doses of vaccine in an effort to deal with the Mpox outbreak.

"Of the 1,000 doses of vaccine we have received, there are currently only 40 doses left. We are waiting for the arrival of 1,600 additional doses of vaccine which are expected to arrive this week," Budi said at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta, Tuesday, August 27.

The additional vaccine will increase the number of Mpox vaccines previously available in Indonesia by 1,000 doses. Budi explained that each dose of the Mpox vaccine requires a relatively expensive budget, around Rp. 3.5 million.

The clinical picture that can be found in Mpox patients in the 2022 and 2023 outbreaks is fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, body fatigue (fatigue) accompanied by rashes or lesions in the form of lenting or small white bubbles with a dark central part.