Doctor Reisa: Complete Routine Immunization Is Important To Give Children Specific Immunity

Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force Reisa Broto Asmoro/Antara

JAKARTA - Government Spokesperson for Handling COVID-19 Reisa Broto Asmoro said that complete routine immunization is important for children to provide specific immunity against certain dangerous diseases.

"If a person is protected from a disease, then the possibility of contracting the disease is reduced. So the final goal is created, namely eradicating the disease," said Reisa in a webinar themed "Save Families, Pass the Pandemic with Complete Immunizations" which was attended in Jakarta, as reported by Antara, Monday, April 18th.

She stated, complete routine immunization consists of basic immunization and follow-up immunization.

"Basic immunization is mandatory, but it's not enough to just be basic. So it must be continued in order to maintain an optimal level of immunity. So it protects us optimally," she said.

According to her, a person must be immunized because immunization aims to protect a person or group of people against certain diseases.

"Even the goal is to eliminate dangerous diseases in the world. As we are currently doing, namely smallpox immunization," she said.

She said the role of immunization was very important in preventing various "immunization preventable diseases" (PD3I), including measles, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, hepatitis B, meningitis, and pneumonia.

"These dangerous diseases can cause disability to death. However, with immunization, we can prevent it from getting worse," she said.

Reisa said that babies are recommended to get breast milk (ASI) exclusively for up to six months. Furthermore, complementary foods are given breast milk until the age of two years.

"Breast milk does have substances to create immunity in general, but not enough to provide specific immunity against certain dangerous diseases. So apart from being breastfed, we also have to add complete routine immunizations to babies," she said.