On August 26, 2024, a standing banner with information about mpox was prominently displayed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten. This initiative comes in light of the World Health Organization's declaration of mpox as a global public health emergency on August 14, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.
In response to the rising concerns surrounding mpox, Indonesia's Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin announced the decision to reactivate the health tracking system previously used during the COVID-19 pandemic, known as PeduliLindungi. This reactivation was prompted by instruction from President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, aimed at preventing the transmission of the zoonotic disease.
Under the newly reactivated system, international travelers will be required to scan a QR code upon entry, which will facilitate health monitoring by tracking travel history and providing a health risk assessment through color codes. This approach is part of a broader strategy to curb the spread of clade Ib mpox, a more virulent strain with a fatality rate reaching up to 10 percent, compared to the less than 1 percent observed with the clade II lineage.
As of August 17, Indonesia had recorded 88 cases of mpox, with a majority of infections being linked to the clade IIb variant, and most patients have successfully recovered. Health Minister Budi reassured the public that the situation remains under control, stating that the World Health Organization has not recommended widespread vaccination for the general populace.
The WHO has initiated a global mpox vaccination campaign targeting high-risk individuals, particularly healthcare professionals and close contacts of infected persons, beginning August 26. Budi highlighted the low fatality rate of the disease and availability of the smallpox vaccine, which reportedly offers an 85 percent efficacy against mpox, further alleviating public concern.
The mpox virus, formerly known as monkeypox, belongs to the same family as the smallpox virus, a fact emphasized by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
5 Comments
Habibi
Focusing on a QR code is like putting a bandaid on a broken leg. We need more resources for research and prevention!
ZmeeLove
The government is using mpox to control us. This is about power, not public health!
Muchacha
The WHO should focus on real problems, not a 'global public health emergency' that isn't a real emergency.
Bella Ciao
This is just a scare tactic! We don't need a health tracking system like PeduliLindungi again. It's an invasion of privacy.
Comandante
The 85% efficacy of the smallpox vaccine isn't good enough! We need better solutions, not rehashed ones.