Child Immunization Coverage When The Pandemic Drops, Jambi Health Office Explains The Reason

Head of the Jambi Provincial Health Office, Doctor Feery Kusnadi. (Antara/Muhamad Hanapi)

JAMBI - The Jambi Provincial Health Office is pursuing the achievement of complete basic immunization for children during the first phase of the 2022 National Child Immunization Month (BIAN).

"The first phase of the BIAN for the Jambi region will be held this May, we will pursue the achievement of BIAN immunization for Jambi children," said Head of the Jambi Provincial Health Office Doctor Ferry Kusnadi in Jambi, quoted from Antara, Tuesday, May 17.

Ferry explained, during the COVID-19 pandemic, complete basic immunization for children decreased because the concentration was focused on accelerating the prevention of COVID-19 transmission.

Data from the Ministry of Health shows that complete basic immunization coverage has decreased significantly at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 the national complete basic immunization coverage is 84.2 percent and will decrease in 2021 to 79.6 percent.

This is due to the distribution of vaccines for these children experiencing disruptions so that the distribution of vaccines to the regions is not smooth.

​​​​Then health workers who carry out complete basic immunizations are more optimized for handling the acceleration of prevention of COVID-19 transmission.

In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, most parents were reluctant to bring their children for immunization for fear of exposure to COVID-19.

"Complete basic immunizations are important for children's growth and development and form immunity for children," said doctor Ferry.

There are several types of immunizations for children based on the age of the child. For complete basic immunization, infants aged less than 24 hours are given hepatitis B immunization.

Then children aged one month were given BCG and Polio 1 immunization, children aged two months were given DPT-HB-Hib 1 and Polio 2. Then three months old were given DPT-HB-Hib 2 and polio 3. Children aged four months were given DPT-HB-Hib 3, polio 4 and IPV immunizations and children aged nine months were given measles or MR immunization.