President Joko Widodo Directs Ministry of Health to Provide Vaccine for Monkeypox

JAKARTADAILY.ID – Indonesian President Joko Widodo gave a number of orders to prevent the spread of monkeypox cases in the country.

The President instructed Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin to immediately provide a monkeypox vaccine.

"I have ordered the Minister of Health, who is the first to issue a vaccine, immediately," said the President in his statement after reviewing the renovation progress of the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, in Jakarta, Tuesday, August 23, 2022.

Also read: Indonesian Ministry of Health Confirms First Monkeypox Case in Indonesia

In addition to vaccination, the President also ordered the relevant ranks to further tighten inspections at the entrances to Indonesia.

"Secondly, for places with high interaction, then the entrance gates to our country are really strictly checked," said the Head of Indonesian State.

President Jokowi asked the public not to panic because monkeypox transmission occurs when the patient is already symptomatic and through physical contact with the patient.

Also read: Ministry of Health to Add Monkeypox PCR Laboratory After the Discovery of the First Case in Indonesia

"But we also don't need to panic too much because the transmission is through direct contact, not through droplets. I think the most important thing is our readiness to deal with it," said the President.

The Ministry of Health confirmed that one Indonesian citizen was confirmed to have monkeypox. The patient was a 27-year-old man from Jakarta, with a history of travel to the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and France before contracting the infection.

“Currently the patient is in good condition, not seriously ill, and he has smallpox or rashes on his face, palms, and feet. The patients do not need to be hospitalized, but self-isolation is sufficient," said Ministry of Health spokesman Mohammad Syahril, in an online press statement, Saturday, August 20, 2022.

Also read: Indonesian Ministry of Health: Monkeypox Cases Have Not Been Found in Indonesia

Syahril said, the patient traveled abroad between July 22 and arrived back in Jakarta on August 8, 2022. The patient began to experience early symptoms of monkeypox on August 11, 2022.

As an illustration, there are currently 39,718 confirmed cases of monkeypox worldwide and 12 people died, or less than 0.001 percent of the total cases. In addition, monkeypox transmission is not as easy as COVID-19 through airborne droplets.