The Jakarta Provincial Government, through the Health Agency, is raising awareness of a potential surge in measles cases ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Although no positive cases have been detected in Jakarta so far, precautionary measures are being tightened due to the rising trend in Jakarta's buffer zones.

Head of Jakarta Health Agency, Ani Ruspitawati explained his party is monitoring measles cases using a surveillance system in various health facilities (faskes).

"There are currently no positive cases of measles in Jakarta. Therefore, we are monitoring the situation through surveillance. Several healthcare facilities are designated as surveillance sites," she said, Wednesday (3/11).

If the Health Agency finds a patient with measles symptoms, a laboratory examination will be carried out immediately to confirm the condition.

"But so far, there haven't been any domiciles in Jakarta. However, areas surrounding Jakarta have begun to see some," she added.

Ani emphasized that the group most at risk of infection are children, especially babies and toddlers because their immune systems are still weak.

"The most vulnerable group are children. So, we must really protect babies and children. Please avoid touching or kissing children, especially babies and toddlers, because their immune systems are still very fragile," she explained.

To anticipate this situation, the Jakarta Health Agency will focus on closely monitoring public health. According to Ani, a mass immunization program is currently not being implemented because no active cases have been detected in Jakarta.

Ani suspects that the potential for a resurgence of measles cases is a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, where measles vaccination coverage in many areas has not yet reached the 100 percent target.