Ministry Of Health: Fourth COVID-19 Vaccine Waiting For 50 Percent Booster Coverage

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) said that the provision of the fourth or second booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine for the public is waiting for the coverage of the first booster vaccination to reach up to 50 percent of the target.

"For the people, wait, our priority is currently the first booster vaccine, currently it's only 26.8 percent, our target is 50 percent. The Minister asks for up to 70 percent. To the community, let's increase the coverage together," said a spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Mohammad Syahril as reported by ANTARA, Monday, August 1.

For the record, the government is targeting the provision of a COVID-19 vaccine to 208,265,720 million people who are targeted for COVID-19 vaccination.

Currently, Syahril emphasized that the provision of a second booster is only intended for health workers considering that the duration of protection for the first booster tends to decrease.

"Health workers have done the first booster for 12 months so that the effectiveness of the antibodies has decreased," he said.

The second booster vaccine will be given to 1.9 million health workers.

"Meanwhile, people with high risk such as elderly and comorbid will follow," he said.

Regarding the provision of COVID-19 vaccination to children under the age of six, Syahril said that currently he is still waiting for the review and recommendation of the National Immunization Expert Advisory Committee (Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization/ITAGI).

"Every vaccination will be given through a study. Now the study in Indonesia is carried out by ITAGI, of course, it will take time and there will be further developments," he said.

On the other hand, he continued, giving vaccines to children under the age of six must also get a recommendation from BPOM for the type of vaccine.

Government spokesman for COVID-19 Reisa Broto Asmoro reminded the public that the pandemic is not over yet, so the most important thing is not to get infected.

"Of course, we have to do our best to protect ourselves, apart from health protocols, of course, by completing vaccinations," she said.