Ministry Of Health: 3 Percent Of Toddlers In Indonesia Exposed To COVID-19 Died Due To Omicron

PIXABAY ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, reported that the number of deaths of children under 5 years old (toddlers) due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was around 3 percent of the total 1,090 patients who died in Indonesia.

"As many as 3 percent of those who died due to Omicron were children aged 0-5 years", said Siti Nadia Tarmizi, quoted by Antara on Friday, February 18.

Nadia said 3 percent or the equivalent of 33 Omicron patients from under-fives who died were the results of case recapitulation compiled by the Ministry of Health as of Sunday, February 13.

She said that efforts to protect children under five from the risk of illness and even death from COVID-19 could be carried out by families and those around them by vaccination and following strict health protocols.

"Once again we urge the public, including children and the elderly, to immediately complete the vaccination", she said.

Nadia, who also serves as Secretary to the Director General of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, said that until now there is no COVID-19 vaccine recommended by experts to target children under five.

"There is no recommended vaccine (for toddlers) to date", she said.

Nadia added that of the total 1,090 Omicron patients who died, 68 percent of them reported that they had not received the COVID-19 vaccination, both the first and complete doses.

The risk of fatality due to Omicron is very high in adults and the elderly. Data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health shows that almost 80 percent of Omicron patients who died were aged 45 years and over, said Nadia.

"From the data of 1,090 patients who died, 68 percent of them have not been fully vaccinated, 76 percent are over 45 years old, 49 percent are elderly, and 48 percent have comorbidities", she said.