Almost A Month Garut Health Office Said There Were No More Findings Of Diphtheria Cases

Secretary of the Garut District Health Office Leli Yuliani. (ANTARA/Feri Purnama)

GARUT - The Health Office (Dinkes) of Garut Regency, West Java said that the case of the diphtheria was sloping. There were no findings of new positive cases for almost a month even though the status of the Extraordinary Event (KLB) remained in effect until November 2023. "Yes, Alhamdulillah, the case is sloping," said Secretary of the Garut District Health Office Leli Yuliani when contacted in Garut, Antara, Sunday, April 2. Garut Health Office officials, he continued, continue to carry out health checks on children and monitor every development of children to prevent the spread of the diphtheria outbreak. Since the establishment of the KLB in February 2023, his party has carried out mass activities of vaccination of the priority diphteri in areas with the most cases, namely in Pangatikan District. This, he said, paid off. For almost a month there were no new positive cases of the diphtheria that attacked children in Pangatikan District or other areas. Even though the results have been sloping, his party continues to optimize the Outbreak Response Immunization (ORI) program, which is a mass vaccination activity for children in Garut. "Keep optimizing ORI, screening patients with symptoms towards the diphteri and socialization about the diphtheria," said Leli. He reminded the public to remain vigilant considering that the Garut Regency Government is still implementing cases of diphtheria as KLB until November 2023 or until vaccination is completed three times. "The KLB is still, because ORI has three rounds," said Leli. The Garut Health Office noted that there were nine people who died in the district, then 14 positive cases of the diphteri from the laboratory confirmation results, and one person is still being treated at the hospital, the rest have been declared cured. During the time the KLB was determined, the Garut Health Office was massively carrying out vaccination activities at the puskesmas and came directly to the community with the target of vaccination in Pangatikan District as many as 10,545 people. Most of the targets have been vaccinated by the distribution, the remaining 3,000 children must undergo vaccination in Pangatikan District. After the first vaccination, the Garut Health Office will continue the second vaccination.