Jakarta (ANTARA) – Coronavirus vaccines are a valuable scientific breakthrough that the community should utilize immediately, spokesperson for COVID-19 Vaccinations for the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, has said.
“Vaccines are valuable discoveries in science. Therefore, people should not be hesitant and afraid to get vaccinated,” she said in a press release received here on Wednesday.
Even after receiving COVID-19 shots, people must keep complying with the health protocols to prevent a surge in cases, she added.
“If we compare our data with global data for vaccination, Indonesia is ranked fifth for the number of citizens who have received at least one dose of vaccination and also for the number of doses injected,” Tarmizi noted.
In addition, Indonesia has been able to secure vaccines amid their limited availability at the global level, the spokesperson affirmed.
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Regarding vaccination coverage in the country, she informed that 21 provincial capitals have surpassed 70 percent coverage and have administered the COVID-19 vaccine to more than 60 percent of the targeted older adults.
Meanwhile, according to Tarmizi, the administration of the booster vaccine will commence in January 2022.
“According to the Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ITAGI) recommendations, Indonesia currently needs to prioritize the coverage of complete COVID-19 vaccination in the general population. Booster vaccination can commence after more than 50 percent of the target population is fully vaccinated, starting by prioritizing older adults,” she said.
According to her, booster vaccines will start for the elderly group first given the risk factor.
To boost immunity against COVID-19, the Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021. President Joko Widodo was the first vaccine recipient under the program.
According to the Health Ministry’s data, as of November 10, 2021, nearly 127,805,106 citizens have received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, while 81,275,819 have been fully vaccinated against the virus. (
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