ASEAN
11 November 2018
Measles immunisation plummeting in Indonesia
Indonesian ‘vaccine fatwa’ sends measles immunization rates plummeting, reports John West.
Millions of Indonesian parents have eschewed a measles vaccine, after Islamic clerics declared the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine "haram," or forbidden under Islamic law because pig components are used in its manufacturing, according to Science Magazine. With immunisation rates plummeting in the world's largest Muslim-majority country, public health experts are worried about new waves of measles and more miscarriages and birth defects resulting from rubella infections during pregnancy.
Indonesia has had one of the highest measles burdens in the world, so the Ministry of Health launched an ambitious catchup campaign targeting 67 million children aged 9 months to 15 years.. "Measles can cause deafness, blindness, seizures, permanent brain damage, and even death; vaccination coverage needs to be at 95% to reach herd immunity, in which even nonvaccinated people are protected", writes Science Magazine.
There is no ready alternative; no MR vaccines have been certified as halal anywhere. And developing a halal vaccine could take 6 to 10 years.
For more details, read the excellent article in the link below:
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/11/indonesian-vaccine-fatwa-sends-measles-immunization-rates-plummeting?utm_campaign=news_weekly_2018-11-09&et_rid=176131282&et_cid=2478787
Indonesia has had one of the highest measles burdens in the world, so the Ministry of Health launched an ambitious catchup campaign targeting 67 million children aged 9 months to 15 years.. "Measles can cause deafness, blindness, seizures, permanent brain damage, and even death; vaccination coverage needs to be at 95% to reach herd immunity, in which even nonvaccinated people are protected", writes Science Magazine.
There is no ready alternative; no MR vaccines have been certified as halal anywhere. And developing a halal vaccine could take 6 to 10 years.
For more details, read the excellent article in the link below:
Reference
Science Magazine. Indonesian ‘vaccine fatwa’ sends measles immunization rates plummeting. Dyna Rochmyaningsih. Nov. 7, 2018.https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/11/indonesian-vaccine-fatwa-sends-measles-immunization-rates-plummeting?utm_campaign=news_weekly_2018-11-09&et_rid=176131282&et_cid=2478787