Palu City Government Targets 62,467 Children For Immunization In The BIAN Program

BIAN Program in Central Sulawesi/Photo: Antara

PALU - The Palu City Government of Central Sulawesi Province (Sulteng) is targeting 62,467 children to receive complete basic immunization in the 2022 National Child Immunization Month (BIAN) program.

Acting (Plt) Head of the Palu City Health Office, Ilham, said the 62,467 children were under 12 years old and were being sought to take part in the catch-up and additional immunization programs based on their age.

"Our target is that 95 percent of the target number can receive immunizations during the BIAN program. I believe this target can be realized for more than a month because the Palu City Government has 227 posyandu in 46 urban villages and 14 health centers with between one and four teams in each health center," he said, Tuesday night 24.

So that in a day, he continued, it is targeted that a minimum of 150 and a maximum of 200 children will receive immunizations. For children who have gone to school, immunizations can be given at school. For children who are not yet in school, it can be given at the posyandu, puskesmas or other health facilities.

"So that immunization coverage in Palu City can be achieved according to the target, it is necessary for the role of parents to invite and encourage their children to take immunizations. We want these children to be protected from diseases that can be prevented by immunization," he said, quoted by Antara.

The government through the Ministry of Health carries out three strategies in the program (BIAN).

One of these strategies is catch-up immunization which includes polio vaccine, oral polio vaccine (OPV) or drip vaccine and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) or injectable vaccine, with the aim of completing the immunization status of children under five who have not been or are late to be immunized according to schedule.

In addition, the strategy in BIAN also includes additional immunization against measles, rubella, which aims to provide additional doses regardless of immunization status, as well as the implementation of expansion and introduction of new vaccines aimed at increasing immunity against certain diseases.