Measles cases surge in Indonesia as anti-vaccine attitudes persist after Covid-19 pandemic

Measles cases are surging in Indonesia due to rising vaccine hesitancy post-Covid. Read more at straitstimes.com.

JAKARTA – A steep rise in measles cases in Indonesia has highlighted the country’s ongoing struggle to boost immunisation rates amid growing vaccine hesitancy that has persisted since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The measles outbreak is so worrying that doctors on social media have taken to advising parents not to let their infants be held or kissed by too many people, especially in the lead-up to Eid-al Fitr, where large family gatherings are the norm.

The disease’s most common symptoms include fever, rash and cough, and can result in more serious, sometimes even life-threatening, complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis, especially for the unvaccinated.

In Indonesia, most measles cases are children – 80 per cent of cases in 2025 were those aged nine and below. Infants and toddlers under five years old, who face the highest risk from the disease, made up 53 per cent of the cases.

Homemaker Amanda Larasati, 22, received similar advice from her six-month-old daughter’s paediatrician during an appointment on March 10.

“The doctor said that she shouldn’t meet too many people, and if they do hold her, they should make sure to wash their hands. And if it’s not pressing, we should avoid going out,” she said.