Polio in Indonesia paralyses boy, sparks mass vaccination campaign
- Virus was first detected in October in a 7-year-old boy suffering from partial paralysis in the province of Aceh near Sigli, prompting mass immunisation
- Vaccine efforts hampered by false rumours it contains pork or alcohol, prohibited by Muslim beliefs, plus government prioritising Covid-19 vaccinations
Four children on the Indonesia island of Sumatra were found to be infected with the highly contagious polio disease that was declared eradicated in the country less than a decade ago.
The virus was first detected in October in a 7-year-old boy suffering from partial paralysis in the province of Aceh near Sigli, and since then three other cases have been detected, prompting a mass immunisation and information drive.
Officials say that polio immunisation rates in the conservative province are well behind the rest of the country, with efforts hampered by widespread disinformation the vaccine is incompatible with religious beliefs, among other things. The government has also been prioritising Covid-19 vaccinations since they became available.
A campaign that started on Monday aims to vaccinate some 1.2 million children in the province, said Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, the Health Ministry’s director general for disease control and prevention.
“There is no cure for polio, the only treatment is prevention and the tool for prevention is vaccination,” Rondonuwu said, adding that the child is still able to walk, albeit with a limp.
With some 275 million people, Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous, and the largest Muslim-majority nation.