Indonesian Health Ministry Rolls Out Efforts to Prevent Mpox; Over 4,000 Doses of Vaccines Prepared

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Health has implemented a number of preventive measures, including surveillance at all health facilities, conducting epidemiological investigations with the HIV/AIDS community and partners, establishing 12 national reference laboratories for Mpox testing, and conducting whole genome sequencing (WGS). The Ministry is also preparing to administer more than 4,000 doses of vaccine.

On August 17, the ministry announced that 88 cases of monkeypox (Mpox) had been confirmed in Indonesia. The ministry's director general (DG) for disease prevention and control, Yudhi Pramono, said 87 of those cases had been declared cured.

Yudhi said the DG was now in the process of preparing 4,450 doses of vaccine, namely 2,225 targets with two doses per person, to prevent monkeypox.

"The Ministry of Health has implemented Mpox vaccination for high-risk groups in 2023 against 495 targets," Yudhi said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) again, he explained. This was announced on August 14, following an increase in Mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a number of African countries.

In WHO's latest report on August 15, 2024, Sweden was confirmed as the first country outside the African continent to have Mpox Clade Ib in a person with a history of travel to Central Africa. Clade I is considered more severe and contagious than MPXV clade II.

Skin and Venereology Specialist, Prasetyadi Mawardi said that the Mpox Clade I variants, both 1a and 1b, have not been detected in Indonesia. From 2022 until now, the variant found in Indonesia is the Clade II variant.

ANTARA

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