Indonesia merges free checks and school vaccines for 2026

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Health Ministry will integrate its free health check (CKG) initiative and the school-age childhood immunization scheme into a single program starting in 2026 to optimize healthcare resources and expand vaccine coverage.

According to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, this strategic integration aims to reverse a 2025 decline in childhood immunization rates due to uncoordinated scheduling.

"Last year, we implemented free health checks for school children alongside routine immunizations," the minister said during a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta on Tuesday.

”This created a conflict in human resources and scheduling. Because they were run as two separate activities, our resources were not utilized optimally,” he added.

By merging the two initiatives, the ministry aims to eliminate scheduling gaps and administrative overlaps, especially during the busy period at the start of the new school year.

Sadikin added that the simplified approach will also make it easier to educate the public regarding routine childhood immunization schedules.

The structural shift comes ahead of the annual School Child Immunization Month (BIAS) scheduled for November, which will specifically target gaps in diphtheria and tetanus coverage.

To further boost coverage, the Ministry of Health has outlined four major national milestones throughout 2026 to capture missed demographics.

The initiative kicked off in April during World Immunization Week, an effort that has already successfully secured vaccines for 130,000 children and 17,000 adults.

Building on this momentum, the ministry is preparing for an upcoming mass drive in July during National Children’s Day Week, which aims to reach a significantly larger target of 240,000 children and 80,000 adults.

The mobilization will continue in August, when an additional supplementary immunization program will be launched in conjunction with Indonesian Independence Day. The year's efforts will culminate in November with National Health Day, serving as the final major push of 2026 by aligning directly with the BIAS campaign.

The government's mandatory national immunization program has now expanded to protect against 14 antigens, following the recent inclusion of three new vaccines, including the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and rotavirus.

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Translator: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie, Yashinta Difa

Editor: Arie Novarina

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