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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Indonesia : RI lags behind in flu vaccination rate

Via Jakarta Post, excerpt :

" Indonesia has a low rate of influenza vaccination because immunization shots are expensive, experts say.

Samsuridjal Djauzi, a professor at the medical department of the University of Indonesia, said Indonesia currently ranked low among countries in Asia and the Pacific in the use of the seasonal influenza vaccine.

He cited data published in the newsletter of the Asia-Pacific Advisory Committee on Influenza (APACI) in August 2007, which said that South Korea ranked the highest in the region with 311 vaccines per 1,000 people.

Samsuridjal presented the data at a press conference for an influenza symposium on Saturday, and said Singapore could cover 90 vaccines per 1,000 citizens.

“Thailand is able to distribute 1 vaccine per 1,000. Indonesia is less than that,” he said.

Influenza is a contagious infectious disease that can be divided into two types, seasonal influenza and pandemic influenza.

Pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur said seasonal influenza is caused by influenza viruses such as H1N1 and H3N2, and attacks the respiratory system, while pandemic influenza occurs when the virus spreads and infects a large number of people.

People usually misunderstand influenza as only an influenza-like illness, such as the common cold, because of their similar symptoms like fever, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, cold and cough."

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