Seventeen people, most of them children, have lost their lives in a measles outbreak in East Java, Indonesia, health officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin announced that he will personally visit Sumenep, the worst affected district, to oversee emergency interventions. He attributed the surge in cases to interruptions in vaccination programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, which left many children without protection.
“Measles is a disease that can be prevented through immunization, so we are going to overhaul our vaccination strategy to make it more effective,” Sadikin told journalists.
In response, authorities have rolled out a mass vaccination drive targeting 95% of children in Sumenep by mid September. Over 9,800 doses of the measles vaccine have already been distributed, along with vitamin A supplements to help strengthen immunity in children.
Local health officials said the campaign will run until September 14, warning that measles can be deadly if not treated promptly.
