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Saturday, 01 October 2022 10:32

Health Ministry Expands Meningitis Vaccine Stock for Umrah Pilgrims

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The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) ensures that it will increase the stock of Meningococcal Meningitis (MM) vaccine. This is done for travelers, including prospective pilgrims for Hajj and Umrah.

Given the MM vaccine is a mandatory requirement for travelers to Saudi Arabia. For this reason, it is hoped that the MM vaccine will be available in early October 2022.

"Meningitis later in early October there will be 250,000. Later in early October, BPOM will get approval," said Minister of Health Budi, in an official statement quoted by RRI.co.id, Friday (9/30/2022).

The Director General of Disease Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health, Maxi Rein also said that the normalization of the MM vaccine stock will last until January 2023. Vaccination services are prioritized for pilgrims whose departure time is near.

It is intended that the congregation get enough time for the formation of antibodies. One of the MM vaccine manufacturers that has obtained a distribution permit from BPOM is currently unable to continue the production of ACM135 Meningococcal Polysaccharide.

"Because it is in the process of fulfilling the WHO prequalification CAPA upgrade. So the vaccine production from the vaccine manufacturer cannot be fulfilled," said Maxi.

Efforts to normalize the stock of MM vaccine are carried out, considering that the MM vaccine is a mandatory requirement for travelers to Saudi Arabia. Currently, the Ministry of Health is identifying MM vaccine stocks throughout Indonesia.

His party also relocated the stock of vaccines to the Port Health Office (KKP) whose vaccination targets were quite large. Vaccination services are prioritized for congregants whose departure time is near, in order to have sufficient time for antibody formation.

"The Ministry of Health is coordinating with related parties such as the Ministry of Religion and the Association for Hajj and Umrah. To convey the importance of implementing MM vaccination and the current conditions regarding private vaccination services," he said. (RRI)

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