DKI Health Office Reports 46 Polio Cases Found Proven Negative

PIXABAY ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Health Office reported that as many as 46 polio cases found in the local area had been tested negative after going through laboratory examinations.

"The number of suspected polio in Jakarta from January 1 to May 19, 2023, there were 99 cases, 46 cases were examined, the positive results of polio blues from the examination were 0. So all 46 were negative because the distance from the initial symptoms until they were taken had to be a maximum of 14 days," said Head of the Epidemiological Surveillance and Immunization Section of the DKI Health Office, Ngabila Salma, quoted by ANTARA, Friday, May 19.

Ngabila said that the most common cases of polio were East Jakarta (33 cases), West Jakarta (25 cases), South Jakarta (18 cases), North Jakarta (17 cases), Central Jakarta (five cases) and the Thousand Islands (one case).

As a follow-up to the number of polio cases in children, the DKI Health Office stated that preventive measures were needed to be taken with the discovery of rapid cases, and to increase the achievement of complete routine immunizations.

Mainly in densely populated areas and low immunization achievements. The achievement of polio immunization in DKI Jakarta alone from 2019 to 2022 has reached the target of above 95 percent, except during the 2020 pandemic," he said.

According to him, the principle of immunization is that it is better to be late than not at all, so people are advised to immediately complete the immunization of each child four times for polio drops at the age of one to four months and twice for polio injections at the age of four and nine months.

The immunization can be accessed for free at the posyandu, puskesmas or immunization services in collaboration with the government. Later, the child immunization certificate can be directly downloaded in the SATUSEHAT application.

In addition to participating in the vaccination program, Ngabila asks the public to continue to maintain personal and environmental hygiene, especially foods consumed so that they are not polluted with dirt and ensure that they are healthy and mature.

Meanwhile, to prevent defects and deaths from polio, early detection and treatment in children under 15 years of age is essential to prevent disturbances in the weakness of their hands and feet that suddenly in the last 14 days without an accident.

Because if it is not detected immediately, the symptomatic child will experience permanent paralysis which will disrupt productivity and even death due to respiratory muscle paralysis.

Weakness can occur in one of the limbs of the right or left hands and right or left legs. In cases of polio infection, only two to five percent will show symptoms, others tend to be asymptomatic so it is difficult to diagnose," he said.

For people who find suspected cases, they are asked to report to the nearest cadres, RT, RW and puskesmas so that the child is immediately examined. The public can also contact the DKI Jakarta Health Center call center which operates 24 hours at 0813-8837-6955 or the 24-hour disease call center at 44 of the nearest sub-district health center, which can be seen on the official Instagram account of the DKI Jakarta Health Office.

Reporter : Hreeloita Dharma Shan