“The Wolbachia Technique is able to suppress dengue infection by 77.1% and hospitalization rate by 82.6%. The WHO recommended the use of the method globally in 2020, and Yogyakarta City became the testing site for the method in our country that year. This year, the cities of Semarang, West Jakarta, Kupang, Bontang, and Bandung will gradually implement the Technique. However, we need to remember that the technology is relatively new, and it requires the breeding of a large number of mosquitoes. In fact, just to implement it in Semarang, for example, we need to breed no fewer than 10 million mosquitoes that contain the Wolbachia bacteria. Therefore, we are restricted in both budget and breeding ability. Brazil is able to breed this 10 million mosquitoes, but Indonesia isn’t yet,” dr. Imran said.
Mosquito Repellent and Nets
Prof. Dr. dr. Hartono Gunadi, Sp.A(K), the consulting pediatric specialist at Pantai Indah Kapuk Hospital as well as Head of the Indonesian Pediatricians Association (Ikatan Dokter Anak Indonesia – “IDAI”) Immunization Task Force, highlights the fact that the dengue death rate among children 5-14 years old is quite high at 40.58%. “The initial symptom is just a fever with a temperature that is not too high, leading parents to think that their children merely suffer from an ordinary cold or upper-respiratory infection. Dengue fevers are frequently undetectable. Therefore, parents need to be wary if their child seems listless, complains of joint and muscle pains, vomits repeatedly, or has red spots erupting from their skin. Please be aware, a crisis tends to occur in the fourth or fifth day, wherein the child may suffer from dengue shock syndrome. Before the syndrome appears, parents must immediately take their children to the doctor. The sooner the disease is detected and treated, the higher the likelihood of healing. As a first aid measure, make sure that the child is sufficiently hydrated,” he said.
Immunization contributes greatly to the prevention of dengue infection. Our Badan Pengawasan Obat dan Makanan (“BPOM”) has approved the use of tetravalent dengue vaccine for serotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4 for adult and children 6-45 years old on 19 August 2022. “The efficacy level of dengue immunization to prevent hospitalization within 1-18 months since the second dose is 90.4%, while its efficacy in preventing dengue infection is 80.2%. The tetravalent dengue vaccine shows protection against dengue infection for up to three years after a person is vaccinated, whether they have been infected with the disease before or not,” Prof. Hartono said.