Concerning The COVID-19 Vaccine For Children, Health Minister: There Is No Clinical Trial Yet

JAKARTA - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that the injection of the COVID-19 vaccine for children has not been carried out. To date, there have been no clinical trials related to vaccines for children under 18 years.

"Regarding child vaccinations, until now there has been no clinical trial conducted by all (producers, ed) of the available vaccines", Budi said in an online press conference broadcast on the YouTube account of the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, Tuesday, March 30.

For this reason, the COVID-19 vaccine will only be given to those over 18 years of age. Moreover, children are not considered to have a high fatality rate, so the administration of this vaccine is not yet necessary.

"So now vaccinations are generally given over the age of 18 years. Why, as stated by the Minister of Education and Culture, because the prevalence or possibility of contracting the COVID-19 virus at a young age does not exist", he said.

"Even if they are hit, they will also heal by themselves", he added.

Previously reported, the COVID-19 vaccination program targeted 181.5 million recipients. Those targeted are people aged 18 years and over. Later, vaccine recipients will receive twice the injection dose.

Overall, this national vaccination will be carried out from April 2021 to March 2022 and consists of several stages.

In the first phase, the vaccine is intended for 1.5 million health workers. In the second stage, COVID-19 vaccination is for the elderly and public service workers. The target is 21.5 million elderly and 16.9 million public workers.

They are market traders, educators, religious leaders and counselors, representatives of the people, officials, government, civil servants, TNI-Police, tourism officers, public services, public transportation workers, athletes, and media workers. This program lasts until May.

Furthermore, vaccination will be carried out for 63.9 million vulnerable people or people living in areas with a high risk of infection. Then, other communities as many as 77.7 million people.