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Indonesia declares end of type-2 polio outbreak

The Indonesian government responded with two rounds of nationwide vaccination using the novel OPV-2 (nOPV2) vaccine between late 2022 and the third quarter of 2024. Routine immunisation coverage also improved, with the second dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) increasing from 63% in 2023 to 73% in 2024.

File photo - A health worker administers polio vaccine drops to a child during National Polio Immunisation Week (PIN) in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, July 23, 2024. (Photo: ANTARA)
File photo - A health worker administers polio vaccine drops to a child during National Polio Immunisation Week (PIN) in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, July 23, 2024. (Photo: ANTARA)

Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia has officially ended its circulating poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreak after administering nearly 60 million additional vaccine doses to children, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin announced on November 21.

No poliovirus had been detected in children or the environment since June 2024, leading the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare the outbreak over on November 19, 2025, he said, as cited by the country’s Antara news agency.

Sadikin praised the dedication of health workers, parents, communities, and partners who supported the nationwide vaccination effort.

He reminded that Indonesia must remain vigilant, as gaps in immunisation coverage persist in several provinces and continue to pose risks.

With the outbreak officially closed, he added, the Indonesian government reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining Indonesia's polio-free status through stronger routine immunisation, enhanced surveillance, cross-sector collaboration, and community participation.

WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Saia Ma'u Piukala called Indonesia’s achievement a crucial milestone toward a polio-free world.

Indonesia recorded its first cVDPV2 case in October 2022 in Aceh. Subsequent cases appeared in Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, North Maluku, Central Papua, Highland Papua, and South Papua. The last case was confirmed in South Papua on June 27, 2024.

The government responded with two rounds of nationwide vaccination using the novel OPV-2 (nOPV2) vaccine between late 2022 and the third quarter of 2024. Routine immunisation coverage also improved, with the second dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) increasing from 63% in 2023 to 73% in 2024./.

VNA
#Indonesia #poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreak #vaccine #routine immunisation
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