A Total Of 100 Thousand Health Workers Failed To Be Vaccinated, What's Wrong?
JAKARTA - The first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination program for health workers (health workers) is still running. From the target of 1.5 million people, the number of health workers who have been vaccinated has reached around 900 thousand people.
In fact, from the priority group vaccination program that had been running, about 100 health workers canceled receiving the injection of the vaccine with the Sinovac brand.
Health Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said that medical personnel who canceled receiving this vaccination were because they showed the characteristics of people who had survived COVID-19.
"We can postpone the injection of 100.000 health workers because they still have immunity", Budi said in a virtual press conference, Sunday, February 7.
In addition, a number of health workers who canceled their vaccinations were also due to high blood pressure during medical examinations before receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
"What we also observe is that many of our people have high blood pressure, so they cannot be given the vaccination injection at that time", he said.
Then, there are also around 11.600 health workers who have not received vaccinations to date because they are in the elderly age group or over 60 years. However, starting today, the elderly group can receive the Sinovac vaccine.
As previously reported, the emergency use authorization on the Sinovac vaccine, which was issued on January 11, was aimed at the age group above 18 to 59 years old.
Until finally the Food and Drug Administration Agency (BPOM) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Sinovac vaccine to be injected into the elderly.
The head of the Food and Drug Administration Agency Penny K. Lukito explained the reason for his party to issue an emergency permit for the Sinovac vaccine to be injected into the elderly is that because almost half of the COVID-19 mortality rate is in the elderly category.
"The elderly group occupies a fairly high portion, relatively higher at around 47.3 percent. This is a necessity for the government of course to determine the provision of available vaccines to also be given to the elderly group", explained Penny.
Sinovac's emergency clearance for the elderly was issued on February 5. This is based on reports of clinical trial results in Brazil and China. The phase 3 clinical trial in Brazil involved 600 elderly subjects. As a result, the administration of this vaccine in the age group of 60 years and stated that the vaccine was safe and there were no side effects in the form of death or serious side effects reported.
Meanwhile, the phase 2 clinical trial in China involved about 400 elderly subjects. The results showed that the Sinovac vaccine which was given 2 doses with a distance of 28 days showed good immunogenicity results. Then, there was an increase in antibody levels after 28 days of giving the second dose, amounting to 97.96 percent.
No need to worry about vaccinations
Chairman of the Executive Board of the Indonesian Doctors Association (PB IDI) Daeng M. Fiqih asked the health workers not to worry to be injected with the COVID-19 vaccine. Because, after receiving vaccinations twice, he did not feel any side effects which then disturbed his health.
"I have represented the doctor's association, obstetricians, nurses, pharmacists, and others, so health workers don't have to worry because thank God, the side effects I feel are minimal", said Daeng after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Broadcasted on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube channel, Wednesday, January 27.
As for the side effects he felt, it was soreness in the hand that was injected. However, this only lasted five hours after injection.
He assured that the COVID-19 vaccination needs to be carried out by health workers because it has a fairly high risk of transmission. So, if there are still health workers having difficulties in the registration process, the Indonesian Doctors Association will be ready to help.