JAKARTA – Indonesia’s Health Ministry has launched a nationwide measles vaccination campaign for healthcare workers after an intern doctor died from the highly contagious disease.
The ministry’s acting director for disease prevention and control Andi Sagun said the campaign would be carried out in 14 provinces with the highest measles caseloads.
“The programme targets more than 290,000 doctors and other medical personnel in the 14 provinces. So far, 565 healthcare workers have been vaccinated and we are ensuring the process continues until the entire target is reached,” he said in a recent press briefing.
Mr Andi said the vaccine would be administered only to healthcare workers who have not been vaccinated against measles or have incomplete doses.
Health authorities said the drive aims to boost protection among frontline workers, who face a higher risk of exposure, and to reduce transmission in healthcare facilities.
Dr Zainal Safri, director of Adam Malik Hospital in Medan, North Sumatra, welcomed the initiative, saying adult vaccination was needed as immunity from childhood measles shots may have waned.
“The measure is expected to help curb measles transmission among adults and ensure healthcare workers remain protected while on duty,” he said.
Indonesia has been grappling with a measles outbreak since 2025, driven by a decline in childhood immunisation.
Coverage for the second dose of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine fell to 77.6 per cent in 2025, down from 82.3 per cent in 2024 and 86.6 per cent in 2023, remaining well below the World Health Organization (WHO)’s 95 per cent threshold for herd immunity.
Health Ministry data show 16,355 confirmed measles cases and 10 deaths as at March 22.
Among the fatalities was an intern doctor from Cianjur, West Java, identified only as AMW, who died on March 26 after reportedly contracting the virus from a patient.
Following his death, the Health Ministry has intensified efforts to protect healthcare workers from measles.
It has instructed hospitals to ensure adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), manage workloads and provide sufficient rest for staff treating infectious diseases.
The ministry has also ordered health facilities to strengthen infection control measures, including early screening and triage, and the establishment of isolation rooms.
Medical workers are being urged to strictly follow infection prevention protocols and to immediately report any measles symptoms, as well as any suspected cases they encounter.
Last week, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) said it would expand the use of measles vaccines to include high-risk adult groups as part of efforts to control the disease.
BPOM chief Taruna Ikrar said the decision followed “a comprehensive scientific evaluation”, including consultations with the WHO and the National Committee for Drug Evaluation.
“The decision was supported by clinical trial data and real-world evidence. Expanding measles vaccine coverage was important as measles does not only affect children, but also adults,” he said.
Alongside vaccinating healthcare workers, the government has conducted Outbreak Response Immunisation (ORI) and MR catch-up campaigns in affected and high-risk areas since March. The programmes cover 102 districts and cities nationwide, targeting children aged nine months to five years.
Measles is one of the most contagious vaccine-preventable diseases, with a single case capable of infecting up to 18 others, particularly among unvaccinated people.
It spreads through airborne droplets and contaminated surfaces and typically causes fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes, and a rash.
Although preventable through the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, the disease can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia and brain inflammation.
In unvaccinated populations, the fatality rate is estimated at 1–3 deaths per 1,000 infections (0.1-0.3 per cent), with higher risk among children under five, adults over 20 and immunocompromised individuals. THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
