March 15, 2026 | 06:41 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Cases of measles in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, have shown a significant upward trend in the recent period. Researcher and Faculty Member of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FKIK) at Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta, Bambang Edi Susyanto, stated that this increase has actually been apparent since last year and has continued into early 2026.
Bambang stated that based on the data he has gathered, there have been hundreds of suspected cases at the beginning of 2026, with dozens of confirmed positive cases. The spread mainly covers the city of Yogyakarta and Sleman Regency. "Although the number of cases is increasing, the current situation is still considered to be under control," said Bambang on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
The main factor that triggered this surge in cases, according to Bambang, is the uneven coverage of immunization in the community. Many children have not yet received complete doses of immunization. This condition is exacerbated by the widespread postponement of vaccination schedules during the previous Covid-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, Bambang mentioned the strong lingering doubt among some parents regarding the safety of the vaccine. "When there are groups of children who are not protected or unvaccinated, the measles virus will easily spread because this disease is highly contagious," he stated.
Bambang cautioned that measles is not a mild disease as it poses a serious risk of complications, especially for infants and children with low immune system. The early symptoms of this disease often deceive as they resemble other infections, such as high fever accompanied by cough, cold, and red eyes, before the appearance of a spreading red rash from the face to the entire body.
The real danger of measles, said Bambang, lies in its potential consequences, which can cause respiratory infections, dehydration, severe diarrhea, and permanent damage to the immune system of the sufferers.
Despite the significant threat of its complications, Bambang emphasized that measles is a disease that can be effectively prevented through the timely administration of MR (Measles and Rubella) or MM (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) immunization vaccines.
Therefore, Bambang stated that the handling strategy that needs to be implemented by the government and healthcare workers is to strengthen education through community health centers, hospitals, integrated health posts, and schools to mitigate misinformation circulating in the community. Consistent socialization is expected to convince parents that immunization is the most effective protection for children's health.
Head of the Disease Control and Environmental Health Division (P2PL) of Sleman Regency Health Office, Khamidah Yuliati, stated that there were 33 confirmed cases of Measles and four cases of Rubella out of a total of 148 suspects found during the period of January and February 2026. "The majority of these positive cases were found in children who had not received complete immunization," she said on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
Chairperson of the Surveillance Task Force of the Yogyakarta City Health Office, Solikhin Dwi, revealed that in Yogyakarta City, until the 8th week of February 2026, there were six confirmed cases of Measles. "Out of 42 suspected Measles cases identified through indicator-based surveillance and incidents, there were six positive cases," he said on Friday, March 13, 2026.
Solikhin added that all patients had received treatment and were provided with education to prevent transmission. "Epidemiological investigations have been conducted to determine the source of transmission and to find close contacts that are potentially at risk of transmission in order to prevent further spread," he said.
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