Jakarta (ANTARA) - The detection of a new polio case in Aceh highlights the need for immunization to prevent the spread of infections, according to a consultant paediatrician at the Indonesian Paediatrician Association (IDAI), Hindra Irawan.
"The reported case occurred in an unimmunized (child), hence, the child has no shield (against polio) because the parent failed to provide the free and readily available immunization," Irawan told ANTARA here on Monday.
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Despite Indonesia having been declared polio-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014, the recurrence of polio and the declaration of an outbreak has proved that polio immunization coverage in Indonesia remains below expectation.
"In regions where the immunization coverage is declining, or even zero, the disease will appear again. It has been revealed that when a district has no proper immunization coverage, the virus will infect (a child) and cause paralysis," the pediatrician said.
While it can be prevented through immunization, polio can cause disability, death, and trigger an outbreak in unimmunized children, he, therefore, urged parents to ensure complete vaccination of their children.
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Parents must also change their outlook that immunization is merely a government program and instead consider it an effective tool to prevent diseases, he said adding that various medical facilities are providing free immunization for residents.
"Once we know (a child’s vaccination) is incomplete, we could promptly visit a public health center, (as the immunization is) free of charge. If administered by a pediatrician, (parents will need to) pay, while it will be free of charge in government hospitals, but not in private hospitals. It is simple: We must not see immunization as a government program; it is our necessity to protect our children and grandchildren," Irawan said.
The government earlier declared a polio extraordinary condition following the recurrence of the disease in a seven-year-old child in Pidie, Aceh. The child, who is unimmunized, has been left paralyzed due to the shrinking of the foot muscles. The symptoms of polio first emerged on October 6, when the child complained of fever, while the paralysis symptoms appeared on October 9.
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