Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is working to ensure that children across the country receive complete vaccination to protect them from several diseases.
"The Indonesian government remains committed to promoting the complete immunization of children nationwide," Murti Utami, acting director general of disease mitigation at the Ministry of Health, said in Jakarta on Saturday.
She explained that complete immunization refers to the administration of multiple vaccines throughout a child's developmental stages, from birth till they reach elementary school.
Utami then provided a detailed breakdown, saying that infants between zero and 11 months need to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, and rubella.
Once children turn 18 to 24 months, their parents should ensure they receive additional vaccines for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, and rubella, she added.
For first-grade children, additional vaccines for measles, rubella, diphtheria, and tetanus are necessary, she said.
In the second and fifth grades, children should be given additional vaccines for tetanus and diphtheria, followed by the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the two following grades, she added.
Utami emphasized the importance of the comprehensive vaccination schedule, pointing out that immunization has proved effective in significantly reducing the number of cases of these diseases.
Moreover, she highlighted that immunization can prevent up to five million deaths annually from diseases.
Given these benefits, Utami urged citizens to ensure their children get vaccinated during the 2025 World Immunization Week, which is taking place throughout the final week of this month.
She said that the government has been working closely with partners to raise public awareness about the importance of immunization and expand the coverage of immunization programs.
