JAKARTA - Lately, there are still parents who say with confidence, "My child is healthy even though he has never been vaccinated", or people who feel sure that vaccines are dangerous.
Some are afraid of side effects, while others are fed up with old hoaxes that keep repeating on social media. Actually, sentences like that are not new. On social media, they are often referred to as antivax or anti-vaccination people.
In the midst of advances in medical science and the increasing availability of health information, anti-vaccine groups still exist and continue to grow from year to year. In fact, the medical world continues to develop and research on vaccines continues to be updated for decades.
According to a pediatrician, dr. Kanya Ayu, Sp.A, it is not easy to make anti-vaccine people aware. Even endless debates are not a solution. However, for those of us who care about health need to realize, what the anti-vaccine people experience is actually based on their own unawareness of the risk of infectious diseases.
In fact, Dr. Kanya said, the assumption of people or children who are not vaccinated but are still healthy is because they are directly protected and in a community environment where the majority have been vaccinated.
A safe environment because most people have been vaccinated is often referred to as herd immunity or group immunity occurs when most people have protection against a certain disease, so that the spread of the virus becomes more difficult.
"For example, they say my child is healthy even though he is not vaccinated. That can happen because the child is in the environment of vaccinated people, so in that environment herd immunity is created for a disease,"
"This is what Dr. Kanya said in the Media Brief - "Proper Protection for a Great Family" which was initiated by PT Kalventis Sinergi Farma in Jakarta on April 23, 2026 in Jakarta.
Unvaccinated children may appear healthy not because their bodies are stronger, but because they are "supported" by the protection of those around them. However, problems arise when that protection is lost.
When someone travels to an area with low vaccine coverage, for example, or meets a vulnerable group, to being in an environment where the virus is still actively spreading, the risk of infection becomes much greater.
This was also reminded by Prof. Dr. Soedjatmiko, Sp.A(K), M.Si. or who is familiarly called Prof Miko. In the anti-vaccine community, we can awaken by giving a real picture, instead of just debating facts in the field.
"Maybe we are not vaccinated because the environment has herd immunity, but when we go home, visit our vulnerable grandmother or go to low coverage areas or the virus is roaming around, we can still get the disease," he said on the same occasion.
According to Prof Miko, people who have never been vaccinated have no basic protection when exposed to the virus. As a result, the risk of severe illness becomes much higher.
"Because he has never been vaccinated, there is no protection, he can get very sick, disabled and die," he said.
On the other hand, people who have been vaccinated may still contract the disease, but their bodies already have a defense system that helps suppress the severity. As for those who have been vaccinated, he may be sick, he can get sick because there is already protection, so the illness is mild.
Anti-vaxxers are nothing newThe phenomenon of anti-vaccination is not a new issue. Long before the era of social media, vaccine rejection has emerged due to fear, misinformation, and distrust of the medical world.
The difference is that hoaxes are spreading much faster and are more easily believed because they are constantly circulating in the digital space. In fact, the virus is also constantly changing.
Influenza, for example, is often considered a common disease. However, under certain conditions, this virus can trigger serious complications, especially in children, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems.
In tropical countries like Indonesia, the circulation of viruses that occurs throughout the year makes influenza a public health challenge that needs to be anticipated on an ongoing basis.
Influenza vaccines play an important role in protecting people from the risk of infection and complications. In recent years, global health experts, including WHO, have no longer found the circulation of the B/Yamagata virus, thus prompting adjustments to the composition of the vaccine.
The change in the WHO recommendation reflects the dynamics of global influenza epidemiology that need to be scientifically and adaptively responded to. A number of studies show that trivalent influenza vaccines have a comparable immunogenicity, effectiveness, and safety profile to quadrivalent vaccines.
Prof. Soedjatmiko also added that the effectiveness of the vaccine is determined by the suitability of the antigen with the circulating virus. Thus, the trivalent influenza vaccine still provides optimal protection against influenza threats.
"The availability of trivalent influenza vaccines is important to prevent worsening due to influenza, the risk of hospitalization, and death. This effort also reminds us of the benefits of vaccine protection at all ages to extend life expectancy," said Vidi Agiorno, President Director of PT Kalventis Sinergi Farma.
In addition, an ecosystem that includes education for health workers, provision of easily accessible vaccination service information, and public awareness campaigns to achieve herd immunity is also needed to ensure that every Indonesian family gets optimal protection from the risk of influenza.
In this case, education is considered the most important approach compared to endless debates. Moreover, in the midst of the rapid spread of health hoaxes, awareness to seek correct medical information is an important step.
"We don't have to worry about those who disagree with the vaccine. We focus on educating people who want and are still hesitant. Focus on providing correct information, hoping they are moved to give vaccines for their children and themselves," concluded Dr. Kanya.
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