The government carried out early prevention related to the spread of monkeypox in Indonesia by supplying monkeypox vaccines from the Bavarian Nordic, Denmark. This was confirmed by the Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin. He confirmed that Indonesia has ordered the Monkeypox vaccine.
“From the vaccination, we have ordered 2,000 doses from the Bavarian Nordic, assisted by the Indonesian Embassy in Denmark,” Budi said in a meeting with Commission IX of the DPR RI, Tuesday (30/8/2022).
On the same occasion, the Director of Bio Farma Honesti Basyir explained that there have been three vaccine candidates for Monkeypox. Besides Nordix, there are also LC16M8 from SVRG Kaketsuken Japan and ACAM2000 from Sanofi Pasteur.
All three use different platforms, as well as the age who can use them. “(Those monkeypox vaccines) Having different age indications. Bavarian over 18 years,” explained Honesti.
However, according to Budi, actually Indonesian people born in 1980 and above have received the smallpox vaccine. That way they already have protection because the two viruses are similar.
Meanwhile, Budi explained that the number of Monkeypox cases in the world has reached 48 thousand so far. However, the death toll is still relatively small, namely 13 people, which Budi said was not due to the monkeypox virus.
“Secondary infection is pneumonia or meningitis infection, it can be in the lungs and brain. Not because of the Monkeypox virus,” explained Budi.
Monkeypox virus also has two variants, namely West Africa and Central Africa. West Africa has an impact, but it is not as severe as the other variants.
The case in Indonesia itself was identified as coming from West Africa. Budi said the patient had also recovered.
“Based on the results of the genome sequencing that we did. We found the variant, there is a West African variant, which is less fatal, not deadly like the one in Central Africa,” said Budi Gunadi during a Hearing Meeting (RDP) with Commission IX of the DPR RI which was broadcast from the Senayan Parliamentary Complex, Jakarta virtually on Tuesday, August 30, 2022.
“I have just been informed that the current patient has recovered,” said Budi.
The Monkeypox virus variant from West Africa is fairly non-lethal. This is also evidenced by the first patient confirmed positive for monkeypox in Indonesia, it is enough to undergo self-isolation at home.
Previously, following up on the findings of a confirmed case of monkeypox in Indonesia on August 19, 2022, the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) immediately detected the Monkeypox virus type using the genome sequencing method.
“To determine whether a person is (infected) with monkeypox or not, we use genome sequencing. Well, there are two types of this virus, one from West Africa and the other from Central Africa,” explained Budi Gunadi during the Press Conference of The 3rd G20. Health Working Group in Bali on Monday, 22 August 2022.
