Geographical Conditions This low immunization coverage in some regions is mostly caused by parents’ ignorance of the NCIM scheme. Furthermore, many parents don’t believe in the benefits of immunization, and prefer not to administer it to them. Specifically for Papua, geographical conditions and security issues remain the primary obstacles. Everyone, including community organizations, really needs to cooperate in this venture. We all need to intensify educational and promotional efforts to ensure that everyone understands the importance of child immunization, which is the reason for NCIM. This means that all relevant health facilities must also intensify their communication efforts for the purpose.
“Immunization is a safe, effective, and significant health effort. It is meant to protect citizens from immunization-preventable dangerous communicable diseases (IPDCD). Lowered immunization coverage during the pandemic has caused multiple extraordinary IPDCD occurrences,” dr. Prima said.
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Chairman of Indonesian Pediatricians’ Association (IDAI), dr. Piprim Basarah Yanuarso, Sp.A(K), declares that immunization in children is necessary not only to protect the children themselves, but also their surroundings. An immunization coverage of at least 80% helps to generate herd immunity, which will hopefully also protect unimmunized children. “Immunization also allows babies and children better chance to grow and develop optimally, without having to suffer from episodes of fatal diseases. Parents should stop their doubting, and make use of this opportunity to get their children fully immunized. After all, being immunized themselves, they are living proof that immunization works,” he said. (est)