Day: December 3, 2021

The Merah Putih vaccine, developed by Indonesian scientists, could be utilized for both booster shots and regular COVID-19 vaccination, head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Laksana Tri Handoko stated.

“All vaccines, any of them, could be utilized for both booster and regular vaccination,” he told ANTARA here on Friday.

Handoko noted that researchers encountered complex challenges in developing vaccines since several trials were required to obtain the optimal formula for vaccine seed.

The vaccine seed should also fulfill the applicable national standard in accordance with the regulation.

According to Handoko, the Indonesian industry is ready to develop and produce new vaccine with two platforms: inactivated virus and recombinant protein.

Currently, two teams have made the fastest progress in developing the Merah Putih vaccine: the team from Airlangga University (Unair), Surabaya, that collaborates with PT Biotis and the team from Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology that collaborates with PT Bio Farma.

“Eijkman is developing the vaccine seed platform based on the recombinant protein sub-unit, while Unair is developing a vaccine seed based on the inactivated virus,” Handoko stated.

The agency emphasized that the primary goal of developing the Merah Putih vaccine is not to become a “champion” in efficacy, he affirmed.

This is since as long as the vaccine fulfills the standard set by World Health Organization (WHO), of an efficacy of above 50 percent, then the vaccine could be utilized, he explained.

Earlier, protocols for the clinical trial of the Merah Putih vaccine, developed by Unair, had entered the final stage, head of the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) Penny K. Lukito stated.

Source: Antara News

Indonesia is continuing to carry out various measures to encourage people with disabilities to get vaccinated and has made them one of the priority targets of the national immunization program, the government’s COVID-19 spokesperson, Reisa Broto Asmoro, said at a virtual press conference on Friday.

“Since the beginning of this year, the government has included people with disabilities into the COVID-19 vaccination priority (group) within the vulnerable group,” she noted.

A vulnerable group is one that needs to be protected because it is at a higher risk of contracting severe disease, she explained.

The Health Ministry has estimated that there are 562,242 people with disabilities who have been included in the list of targeted recipients of the COVID-19 vaccination program in Indonesia.

According to the Ministry’s data, as of December 3, 2021, of the targeted 141,211,181 people in the vulnerable and general group, 82,096,625 people have received their first vaccine dose.

Meanwhile, 51,585,486 people have been administered the second dose.

Several steps have been carried out to support vaccinations of people with disabilities, Asmoro noted.

Specifically, the issuance of the Health Ministry’s Circular Letter No. HK.02.01/MENKES/598/2021 on Accelerating COVID-19 Vaccination for the Elderly, People with Disabilities, Educators, and Education Workers, she said.

The circular states how people with disabilities must be served in every health facility and not be limited to the domicile written on their identity card (KTP), she informed.

All parties should collaborate to encourage vaccinations of people with disabilities and the elderly, Asmoro asserted.

One way to realize this collaboration is by mobilizing transportation to take them to a health service center where the vaccination is being carried out and then bring them home, she said.

The ministry has also issued Circular Letter No. HK.02.02/III/15242/2021 on COVID-19 Vaccination for Vulnerable Group and Others Who Do Not Yet Have NIK (citizen identity card numbers), she noted.

“The circular letter that is addressed to all provincial, district, and city Health Service heads emphasizes that all government officials should maintain high spirit in keeping all of Indonesia protected from COVID-19 exposure,” Asmoro said.

Source: Antara News

Skincare has a big influence on the physical and mental growth of babies, especially during their golden age, social pediatric and child growth expert, Dr. Bernie Endyarni Medise, SpAK, MPH, said here on Friday.

In addition to providing nutrients through breast milk and food, taking care of the baby’s skin for the sake of health and hygiene is very important, Medise added.

“The most rapid brain development occurs during the golden age and something that happens at that time can have long-term effects. This problem includes children who suffer from skin disorders,” Medise, who practices at the Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital (RSCM), remarked.

“Growth hormones disrupt a baby when it is sleeping so it does not sleep soundly. If the sleep is not sound, it can impede growth, while skin disorders can make a baby uncomfortable,” she explained.

One way parents can alleviate skin problems in babies is by continuing to maintain the health and cleanliness of their skin with products that are friendly to their sensitive skin, she advised.

“Skincare supports the process of growth and development because, with the right use of products, the baby will feel more comfortable as its skin can avoid certain skin conditions such as redness, irritation, or itching,” Medise explained.

Moreover, newborn skin is different from adult skin, she said. A baby’s skin is more vulnerable and sensitive so it requires special care, she added.

A baby’s skin has great absorption ability because its thickness is 30 percent lower than an adult’s skin, she informed. Hence, it is important for parents to choose baby care products that are made with natural ingredients, are pH balanced, and have passed dermatology tests, she said.

“Parents must browse for products suitable for baby skin. If baby skin is irritated and not treated, it can get infected,” Medise added.

Source: Antara News

Earthquake activities in Indonesia increased in November compared to October this year, according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG).

“BMKG’s monitoring result shows that throughout November 2021, there were 980 earthquake activities in Indonesia with varying levels of magnitude and depth,” BMKG’s earthquake and tsunami mitigation coordinator, Daryono, noted in a statement issued here on Friday.

There was an increase in earthquake activities compared to October, when 844 quakes were recorded, he said.

The quake activities in November were dominated by small earthquakes of less than 5.0 magnitude and they happened 969 times, he explained. Meanwhile, in October, the number of small earthquakes was 831, he added.

“Significant earthquakes with a magnitude of above 5.0 occurred 11 times, which was less frequent than in October, when they occurred 13 times,” he informed.

Active earthquake zones were located in 10 seismic clusters in November 2021, he said.

They were Aceh-Nias, Bengkulu-Lampung-Sunda Strait, South Banten-West Java, South Yogyakarta-East Java, Lombok-Bima-Sumba, Sigi-East Luwu, South-North Minahasa, Maluku Sea, Ambon-Seram, and North Papua, he added.

Meanwhile, there were 49 earthquakes that were strong enough for the public to feel, a decline compared to October, when they were recorded at 71, the official said.

He also highlighted that throughout November destructive earthquake incidents only occurred once. The quake was reported in Wahai, North Seram, Central Maluku, he informed.

The 5.7-magnitude earthquake that struck on November 4, 2021, was centered on a beach 16 km west off Wahai and it destroyed more than 26 buildings, he added.

BMKG has forecast that there will be an increase in extreme weather events in the next week in several regions in Indonesia.

According to the agency, several provinces will experience an increase in the growth of rain clouds triggered by extreme weather and atmospheric wave phenomena.

Source: Antara News

The National Commission on Anti-Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has asked the Health Ministry to develop health facilities that are easily accessible for people with disabilities.

In a press release issued here on Friday, Komnas Perempuan commissioner Andy Yentriyani said that women and girls with disabilities have multiple vulnerabilities as women and as persons with disabilities.

“These vulnerabilities often overlap with other vulnerabilities, especially low education, poverty, poor health services, and negative stigma from society,” she informed.

She also asked the Ministry of Health to provide optimal and inclusive services related to women’s reproductive health to women and girls with disabilities.

According to Yentriyani, Komnas Perempuan has found that most girls with disabilities who fall victim to sexual violence are in the age range of 8–19 years.

“The findings show that most victims are aged between 8–19 years old, where they are in primary and secondary education. Most of them do not have sufficient knowledge about sexual and reproductive health,” she noted.

At the same time, many parents or families do not know how to raise and educate girls with disabilities due to their low educational background and economic factors, she explained.

For that reason, Komnas Perempuan has asked the Ministry of Health to improve health workers’ knowledge and skills in providing services to persons with disabilities and increase access to reproductive health services for women with disabilities, especially in rural and remote areas, she said.

The commission has urged the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (KPPPA) to disseminate information on gender equality and provide inclusive education on reproductive health to persons with disabilities living in rural and remote areas, she added.

“KPPPA should strengthen the integration of the special needs of women and girls with disabilities who are victims of sexual violence in women’s and children’s protection programs,” she remarked.

Source: Antara News