HPV Vaccine Expanded, Government Targets 90% Of Indonesian Children Protected By 2030

Director of Immunization of the Ministry of Health, dr. Prima Yosephine at the Journalist's Class Against Certificate Cancer Misinformation in the Digital Era in Jakarta. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is one of the government's key efforts in preventing cervical neck cancer which is still a serious health problem in Indonesia.

The government continues to encourage this vaccination program so that it can reach girls and boys more widely in order to stop the spread of the virus that can cause cervical cancer.

The Ministry of Health's Immunization Director, dr. Prima Yosephine, revealed that the government targets HPV vaccination coverage in both genders to reach 90 percent by 2030.

"So it is hoped that at least 90 percent of girls and boys in our republic will have to get HPV immunization before the age of 15, this will all be achieved by 2030," Prima said at the Journalists Class Against Certificate Cancer Misinformation in the Digital Era in Jakarta, Monday.

According to Prima, this step is part of a major strategy to accelerate the elimination of infectious cervical cancer. Currently, vaccination is given one dose to 5th grade elementary school girls or 11 years old, including those who are not in school.

If they have not received immunization at that age, children can pursue vaccination when they are in grade 6 elementary school or grade 9 junior high school, equivalent to 15 years old.

The vaccination program will also be extended to boys starting in 2026, with a single dose given at the age of 11 years or equivalent to grade 5 of elementary school.

The implementation of this strategy will begin next year in three provinces as an initial stage, before it is gradually expanded throughout Indonesia.

Prima emphasized that cervix cancer is still a big threat, with around 36 thousand new cases every year in Indonesia. Of these, nearly 60 percent of them end in death, equivalent to 56 people every day.

He mentioned that the low public awareness in conducting early screening and HPV vaccination is a challenge in controlling this disease, although information about the dangers is widely known.

To strengthen elimination efforts, the government targets that by 2030 at least 75 percent of women aged 30 to 60 years have been screened using HPV DNA tests.

In addition, in 2027, the government plans to expand the HPV vaccination program for women aged 20 years.

Another target that the government wants to achieve by 2030 is that 90 percent of women who have been diagnosed with cervical cancer must immediately get strong management, "added Prima.