Photo: Company reps with staff from Jair District’s health center at the vaccination site
BOVEN DIGOEL – Jair District Health Post and Tunas Sawa Erma Group (TSE Group)’s clinic have recently partnered to run an outbreak response immunization in response to rising measles cases among South Papuan children. The program was held on behalf of the Boven Digoel Health Service.
Vaccines were administered to kids aged 9 months – 12 years at TSE Group’s Asiki clinic in the Jair District area, Saturday (6/10). This session continued with visits to (sub)villages and settlements around the company’s operational site.
Despite the disease’s fast transmission (made possible through coughs or sneezes), a large part of the population remain lacking awareness of early immunization, health post head Barry told the PR team. This is concerning given measles have the ability to attack the immune system, which leaves the young vulnerable to infections. Vaccinations, then, become necessary as a prevention effort.
One of the children’s guardians, Veronika, hoped there will be no more measles in Papua and most especially in Boven Digoel. “As a parent, I am grateful this event took place. Especially when measles are on the rise,” she added.
2,976 patients were vaccinated in this program, Boven Digoel Health Service reports. Among them, 2,611 come from Jair District, Subur District, and Ujung Kia District. Meanwhile, 365 are natives of Selil and Ulilin districts.
Outbreak response immunization, or ORI, is part of a standard operating procedure for tackling an outbreak within a particular region, especially when the outbreak is an infectious disease preventable by immunization. ORI helps to stop the spread, close immunity gaps, and create herd immunity.
TSE Group is a palm oil plantation company in Papua, which commits to practicing sustainable palm oil governance and puts out innovations to prioritize its responsibilities of tackling healthcare, educational, economic, environmental, and infrastructure issues. (Fionny /TSE Group)
