Ministry Of Health Reviews DHF Vaccines As A National Vaccination Program

Director of Prevention and Control of Menular Diseases (P2PM) of the Ministry of Health, Imran Pambudi, conducted an interview with the media at the Jakarta International Velodrome, Jakarta, Sunday (10/9). (ANTARA/Pamela Sakina)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) is reviewing the dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) vaccine known as the Transvalent Dengue Vaccine (TDV) to be used as a national vaccination program. The Director of Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (P2PM) of the Ministry of Health, Imran Pambudi, said that the vaccine study, which has just received a BPOM permit and has been used in the country since August 2022, will take about two years. " “ While the community is vaccinating (self-contained), we do operational research, how, whether it is effective or not, then what is the strategy for giving it to who first, that's what we are doing," Imran told ANTARA, Jakarta, Sunday, September 10. "That usually takes about two years," said Imran. Until now, the dengue vaccine is still relatively new in Indonesia, and the price is still relatively high. For one dose, the price currently ranges between Rp. 500 thousand rupiah, and to achieve maximum efficacy, two doses or two vaccinations are needed. Seeing this, Imran said that the Ministry of Health is also reviewing vaccination methods and strategies that are evenly distributed throughout Indonesia. “Indonesia is very wide, and this vaccine is still new, still reviewing strategies for what kind of areas, in what kind of urban areas, what urban areas are. So we really have to finalize that this is a national program,” explained Imran. Furthermore, considering that the dengue vaccine is still under study for national programs, he advised the public to always take anticipatory steps by implementing 3M. These 3M anticipatory measures include draining water reservoirs, closing water reservoirs, and recycling various goods that have the potential to be used as breeding houses for Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes, which carry the dengue virus in humans. “ So don't rely too much on vaccines, but 3M plus vaccines. Start preventing burying, then fighting back and others, plus vaccines. This vaccine is a new innovation, and has only been allowed by BPOM by the end of 2022, as an effort to prevent dengue infection,” explained Imran.

Although it has not yet been designated as a national program, Imran said that currently several local governments have initiativeally carried out dengue vaccination programs for their citizens, such as East Kalimantan. TDV is currently also spread in many health and private facilities for people who want to vaccinate. Until now, BPOM's permit for TDV is for ages 6 to 45 years.