31M Indonesian children get measles vaccine

Indonesia's Ministry of Health has completed a massive and integrated child health improvement campaign, which has resulted in over 31 million children being immunized against measles. The effort was launched in the aftermath of the December 2004 tsunami which especially devastated large parts of northern Sumatra.

In addition to the measles vaccine, the Indonesian authorities arranged for polio immunization, vitamin A supplements, micronutirent sprinkles, de-worming medicine and insecticide-treated nets for the prevention of malaria, in an integrated multiphase campaign.

The Measles Initiative estimates that, prior to 2004, Indonesia was one of only five countries with over one million unvaccinated children against measles. Routine coverage was believed to be about 70% with 30,000 deaths from complications arising out of the disease each year. The Initiative is a consortium led by the American Red Cross, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Foundation, UNICEF and the World Health Organization.