Wasior Red Papua District Child Immunization Report

Health workers give the measles rubella vaccine to toddlers. (ANTARA/HO)

WEST PAPUA - The Wasior District Government in Teluk Wondama Regency admitted that until the end of June 2022, immunization coverage in its area was still low.

For this reason, the area in West Papua is trying to increase the coverage of immunization services at the same time as the National Child Immunization Month (BIAN), which has started this week.

"We have report cards from people who say they are still red. So we hope that next week we will be yellow, next month we will be green," said Head of Wasior Health Center Aldyf Rorong in a cross-sectoral workshop on the implementation of BIAN at Wasior Health Center, quoted from Antara, Thursday, June 23.

Measles and rubella immunization services in Wasior District only covered 1,172 children or 28.8 percent of the total 4,064 children targeted for immunization.

According to data from the Wasior Health Center, the coverage of immunization against OPV, IPV, and DPT-HB-Hib in nine villages (villages) and one kelurahan in Wasior District is also still below 50 percent on average.

IPV immunization according to puskesmas data even only covers 20 children or 2.7 of the total target of 742 children.

Aldyf said that the factors that became obstacles in efforts to increase the coverage of children's immunizations in the Wasior area were the low understanding of parents about the importance of immunization.

"At that time I was visited by five mothers who said that they did not want their children to be immunized because according to them the COVID-19 vaccination was actually only the name being changed," said Wasior Lurah Ickbal Marani.

"So maybe there needs to be more socialization or explanation about this BIAN immunization to the public," he said.

Head of Rado Village, Paul Sumlena, revealed that there are still parents who do not want their children to be immunized in their area.

"There are concerns that it is a COVID-19 vaccine, so parents don't want their children to be vaccinated," he said.

​​​The Head of the Wasior District, Antonius Alex Marani, stated that the spread of hoaxes about the COVID-19 vaccine made parents worried so they didn't want their children to be vaccinated.

"Our advice is not to vaccinate, because so far we have seen it being carried around, people are a little hesitant about wanting a vaccine. But this is an important immunization for our children," said Alex.

To overcome this problem, the Wasior Health Center conducted counseling to increase the knowledge and understanding of residents about the child immunization program.

In addition, village heads, lurah, and district government officials who attended the workshop agreed to support the implementation of child immunization in the villages and sub-districts.

"We will make posyandu services in every village as well as immunizations. Later those who don't come will go directly to their homes," he said.