Banten, 30 April 2025 – The Indonesian Ministry of Health (MoH) has declared its full support for the World Immunization Week (WIW) commemoration held by the Indonesian Paediatric Society (IDAI) in Banten Province on 30 April 2025. This event is an important part of ongoing efforts to raise public awareness about the vital role of immunization in protecting children from preventable diseases.
WIW serves as a strategic moment to strengthen public understanding across all levels of society about the importance of immunization as optimal protection against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) – not only for children but for people of all ages. The collaboration between the MoH and IDAI in this event reflects a cross-sectoral synergy aimed at accelerating national immunization coverage. Though initiated by IDAI, MoH has taken an active role, particularly in amplifying public messaging and education.
In her remarks, the MoH Director of Immunization, dr. Prima Yosephine, cited WHO data from 2023 that 14.5 million children globally had not received any vaccines – commonly referred to as “zero dose” children. Indonesia ranks sixth globally, with approximately 1.3 million children not having received their first dose of DPT vaccine between 2019 and 2023.
“These are not just statistics on paper but are concrete pictures of children in Indonesia left unprotected, posing a serious threat to the country if urgent action is not taken,” said Dr Prima in front of WIW participants in Banten.
She emphasized that achieving high, equitable and quality immunization coverage is essential to prevent illness, disability and even death from disease, while also laying the groundwork for a healthy generation capable of facing future challenges.
“Immunization is not just a basic service – it is a long-term investment in protecting our children,” she added.
From March to April 2025, a series of WIW activities have taken place across various regions. These include mass immunization drives, a catch-up immunization week dubbed “Sepekan Mengejar Imunisasi”, journalism and social media competitions, awards for regions with high immunization coverage, and a series of webinars attended by more than 94 000 participants from diverse backgrounds.
WHO Representative to Indonesia, Dr N. Paranietharan, reaffirmed that WIW reflects global commitment to protect millions of lives through vaccination.
"World Immunization Week 2025 is a moment to celebrate Indonesia's progress in protecting millions of lives through vaccines. Under the theme 'Immunization for All is Humanly Possible,' we are responding to the global call to close immunization gaps, particularly in remote and underserved areas," he said.
He added that now is the time to show that immunization is not just an aspiration but a realistic and necessary achievement.
This sentiment was echoed by the UNICEF Representative to Indonesia, Maniza Zaman. She called vaccines one of the most influential innovations in public health history.
“Over the past five decades, vaccines have saved 154 million lives around the world. In Indonesia, UNICEF remains committed to advancing childhood immunization in close partnership with the Ministry of Health and our partners,” Maniza explained.
She added that sustained investment in immunization is critical to ensuring that children grow up healthy and ready to help build the nation’s future.
MoH, together with WHO, UNICEF and IDAI, urges all parents, caregivers and communities to ensure that children in Indonesia receive their full routine immunization in a timely manner. This commitment is aligned with Indonesia’s efforts to meet the Immunization Agenda 2030.
WIW is observed annually during the last week of April. This year, Indonesia carries the theme “Let’s Complete Immunization for a Healthy Generation Towards a Golden Indonesia,” in line with the global theme “Immunization for All is Humanly Possible”.