World Immunization Week (WIW) is an annual momentum for all countries in the world to promote vaccines that protect everyone from diseases. In 2021, “Vaccines bring us closer” was the theme of World Immunization Week at the global level. Joining the global campaign, Indonesia carries the theme “Let’s Immunized for Healthier Nation” (Ayo Imunisasi, Bersatu Sehatkan Negeri) to celebrate World Immunization Week activities during the last week of April 2021.
A child receiving oral polio drops. After being declared polio-free by World Health Organization officials in 2014 Credit: Agung Samosir/ via Getty Images
Immunization protects many lives every year and is one of the most successful health interventions. However, coverage is inequal across the country with several provinces in Indonesia presenting with low coverage rates of routine and COVID-19 vaccination. Hence, reviving the spirit across all sectors for immunization is one of the main messages raised in the WIW celebration in Indonesia.
By carrying the theme “Ayo Imunisasi, Bersatu Sehatkan Negeri”, the Ministry of Health (MoH) with the provincial and district health offices supported by WHO, UNICEF, and other stakeholders, were involved in celebrating WIW with various activities in several regions in Indonesia.
Several activities were conducted during the celebration of WIW through online and offline platforms on the last week of April. An initial campaign in celebration of WIW was started by using WIW Twibbon on April 24, 2021, followed by an SMS blast to the public on the WIW campaign . At the national level, MoH held a talk show, media meetings, blogger meetings, and webinars that involved the general public, media teams, influencers, and bloggers. At province level, several regions in Indonesia such as West Papua, North Maluku, North Sulawesi, West Java, South Sulawesi, and Papua celebrated WIW with various activities such as competitions, webinars, interactive dialogues, monitoring visits to posyandus, PKK Mengasih movement launch, and immunization posts. All these activities aim to provide the final output to revive the spirit of immunization and to convey the importance of immunization to prevent diseases and protect life.
WHO Indonesia supported MoH to document national and subnational activities in the WIW in a booklet named “Me You, Us and Immunization“ (Aku, Kamu, Kita dan Imunisasi). This booklet presents messages from immunization champions such as health workers, parents, religious leaders, teachers, and other parties. The last section showed the key messages – the most important output point in this booklet – to highlight each party’s role in strengthening immunization in Indonesia: the national level, across sectors in provinces, districts/cities, sub-districts and villages, health workers, parents, families, cadres, community organizations and the media.
Finally, through the documentation of WIW activities, this booklet is expected to bring the spirit and commitment of collaboration from various sectors to increase routine and COVID-19 vaccinations in Indonesia. We hope this booklet can motivate other provinces to celebrate WIW with innovative activities in the future to foster the spirit of immunization.***
