In Indonesia, US and Canada, ‘online hoaxes’ fuel measles deaths

Indonesia has launched emergency vaccination drives after measles outbreaks killed more than 20 children in two provinces, stoking fears of a wider epidemic amid a global resurgence of the virus. The scale and speed of the outbreaks have alarmed health experts, who warn the crisis is not simply the result of faltering immunisation coverage, but also a symptom of growing vaccine hesitancy – fuelled by online misinformation, religious concerns and a legacy of public distrust. This erosion of confidence now threatens to overwhelm efforts to contain further spread. Between January and August, Indonesia’s Health Ministry confirmed more than 3,400 measles cases across 14 provinces, nearly matching the 3,500 cases recorded for the whole of last year. Thousands more suspected cases are under investigation, prompting authorities to designate the outbreaks “an extraordinary event”. In East Java’s Sumenep, the disease has already claimed at least 20 lives. Another hotspot, Riau province, had reported 900 suspected cases and 142 confirmed as of the end of October, including the death of a junior school pupil in the provincial capital, Pekanbaru. “The transmission rate is very high,” warned Hazil Fendriyanto, head of the Pekanbaru Health Agency, on November 10. “We urge the public to be aware of disease transmission.” ‘Online hoaxes’ Measles, a highly contagious viral illness, spreads easily through respiratory droplets when infected people cough or sneeze. Even a single case in a community with low immunisation can cause a cascade of infections, according to Dr Dicky Budiman, a public health expert and epidemiologist at Yarsi University in Jakarta. Symptoms, including a high fever, sore throat, fatigue and runny nose, often resemble a common cold, before giving way to a distinctive red rash that can engulf the entire body. Budiman said vaccine hesitancy was not unique to Indonesia, citing the current outbreaks in the United States and Canada that also “have large populations with low vaccination rates in some areas”. “Populations in these countries have been influenced by online hoaxes and conspiracy theories,” he told This Week in Asia. “There are pockets of vulnerability in some communities and, if people travel outside of these communities, they can make the virus spread.” Canada has reported more than 5,000 measles cases this year, up from just 147 in 2024, leading to two provinces – Ontario and Alberta – losing their “measles-free” status for the first time in three decades. The US has also seen over a thousand cases this year, with the Centres for Disease Control linking the surge to flagging immunisation rates. In Indonesia, vaccine hesitancy is a growing concern among healthcare workers. In North Sumatra’s capital, Medan, paediatrician Dr Steven Guntur said parents’ trust in immunisations had wavered. “It is true that there is a decline in parental trust in immunisations in some regions and online hoaxes are a significant factor,” he said. “Some parents read or hear that vaccines are unsafe, can cause serious side effects or have hidden agendas. This makes them afraid and they delay or forgo vaccinating their children.” When health workers failed to provide clear, accessible information, families were left susceptible to scaremongering, Guntur said, adding that some parents believed illnesses like measles were rare they saw little reason to vaccinate their children. Religious and cultural factors further complicate the situation. With 87 per cent of Indonesians identifying as Muslim, doubts over the halal status of vaccines have historically hampered immunisation campaigns. Past health scandals have deepened the distrust, few more devastating than a scandal in 2022 involving tainted cough and fever syrups contaminated with toxic industrial solvents that claimed 157 lives, mostly children. In Bekasi, outside Jakarta, nurse Tia Rizki said she wanted her three-year-old daughter vaccinated “to lower the risk” – but her husband still refused to do so after their son’s death in the poisoning scandal. My husband doesn’t believe in vaccines Tia Rizki, Indonesian nurse “My husband doesn’t believe in vaccines,” she told This Week in Asia. “My husband says that if a child is vaccinated or not, it is all the same.” Health experts, however, stress that robust immunisation is the only way to halt the current outbreak and protect vulnerable communities. “We need to deal with the current outbreak with a rapid response and vaccination programme,” Budiman said. “My recommendation is vaccinations focused on particularly vulnerable or susceptible communities and clear communication of the risks to the population using simple and locally appropriate language about the safety and efficacy of vaccines.”

In Indonesia, US and Canada, ‘online hoaxes’ fuel measles deaths

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}With over 3,400 confirmed cases and more than 20 child deaths, Indonesia’s outbreaks reflect immunisation gaps and growing vaccine hesitancy

With over 3,400 confirmed cases and more than 20 child deaths, Indonesia’s outbreaks reflect immunisation gaps and growing vaccine hesitancy