Of 1.2 Million Children, Polio Immunization In Aceh Reaches 95 Percent

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin donated polio vaccine to children during the declaration of the polio National Immunization Sub Week (PIN) at the Aceh/ANTARA Governor's Hall

The Aceh Health Service (Dinkes) stated that the implementation of the second dose of the National Immunization Sub Week (PIN) of polio in the westernmost province of Indonesia has reached 95.1 percent of the target of 1.2 million Aceh children. Head of the Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) of the Aceh Health Office Iman Cheapman said that currently several regencies/cities are still testing polio immunization in children in villages, especially areas with achievements below 95 percent. "Banda Aceh, Aceh Besar, Nagan Raya, Pidie Jaya, and Simeulue are still running (immunization) until the end of this Sunday," said Iman followed by ANTARA, Thursday 9 March. Implementation of polio immunization twice in 23 districts/cities throughout Aceh as a response to the polio case (KLB), following the discovery of a paralyzed case with polio due to polio in Pidie Regency, Aceh, last year. The government targeted 1.217.939 children aged 0-12 years in Aceh to receive the first polio immunization and second as an effort to protect children from a paralyzed wetting disease. From that target, the realization of the second dose has now reached 95.1 percent or 1.158.329 children. The last data there are seven regions with the achievement still below 95 percent, namely the Simeulue Regency 80.1 percent, Aceh Besar 84.4 percent, Aceh Selatan 90.7 percent, Banda Aceh 91.6 percent, Pidie 92.7 percent, Pidie Jaya 94,2 percent, and Nagan Raya 94.4 percent. Iman said that if Aceh wanted to leave KLB polio then one of the indicators had to complete two Anti-PIN polio rounds with an achievement of 95 percent. "So the first dose only introduces, if the second dose is indeed to achieve immunity for children," said Iman. Hingga now, there are still some Acehnese people who reject their children getting polio immunization, so it needs to be carried out continuously by health officers. "We see in Aceh Besar and in Banda Aceh there are still those who feel the benefits (the old people of polio).

So, said Iman, the emergence of cases of paralysis withers due to polio in Aceh is a warning to the public, how important it is for children to get polio immunizations and take advantage of the polio Sub-PIN. "We must convey it continuously and indeed people have begun to realize that immunization is an important thing, not only the polio Sub-PIN, but also other basic immunizations that we must react to," said Iman.