JAKARTA – Indonesia’s Bali regional government has called on foreign tourists in the resort island to get dengue jabs as the number of dengue fever cases are increasing in the country.

Bali Health Agency’s acting head of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P), Ms Gusti Ayu Raka Susanti, said on April 20 that dengue vaccines were not yet mandatory, but tourists were advised to get the jabs to ensure they would remain healthy during travelling, particularly when entering endemic areas.

“The dengue fever vaccinations are highly suggested, not only for tourists, but also all Balinese people, so that they can protect themselves from dengue infections,” she said as quoted by local media.

Concerns over dengue fever in Bali followed an increasing rate of cases nationwide in Indonesia.

Although the Bali regional government does not have any specific data on the number of tourists exposed to dengue fever, the overall rate in the province has been quite high, with a total of 4,177 cases and five deaths from January to April in 2024. XINHUA