Minister Of Health Affirms Mpox Vaccine Targets Vulnerable Groups, Including HIV Sufferers

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin (center) and West Manggarai Regent Edistasius Endi (right) at Komodo Labuan Bajo Hospital, NTT, today. (ANTARA-Fransiska M N)

Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that the vaccine for monkeypox (Mpox) is still targeting certain groups, such as people with human immunodeficiency virus or HIV.

"We give the Mpox vaccine, the Mpox is not contagious, that's all, it's rare. It's usually to certain groups like HIV. So, what we vaccinate in that group is all, and we will spread the private ones (hospitals) later," said the Minister of Health. met at RSCM, Jakarta, Friday 30 August, confiscated by Antara.

He emphasized that until now the stock of vaccines for Mpox is still safe and urges the public to continue to apply clean and healthy living behavior (PHBS).

"Safe, calm (vaccine stock), the important thing is good behavior, because it's like HIV (the transmission of Mpox)," he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, revealed that the DPR and the government also anticipate the emergence of the Mpox outbreak in the second Indonesia-African Forum which will be held in Bali on September 1, 2024.

"And indeed I heard the government anticipates the Monkeypox outbreak. So, we will work together, synergize to prevent it and anticipate it," said Puan.

On the other hand, the General Chair of the Association of Indonesian Skin and Gender Specialists (Perdoski) Dr. dr. Hanny Nilasari emphasized the importance of a clean lifestyle to prevent the transmission of the monkeypox (Mpox) virus.

"The pattern of healthy living by maintaining nutritional intake and hygiene of hands and not having contact with patients who have this infection, and not using joint goods is important to pay attention to," said Hanny.

He said people need to be careful and vigilant so that zoonosis disease, which means it is transmitted from animals to humans and then spreads from humans to humans, is not an epidemic.