Paid Vaccination Postponed, Ministry Of Health Just Prepares Technical Instructions

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for vaccination from the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi said that the government is currently preparing technical instructions for the implementation of individual paid vaccinations.

"The Ministry of Health together with the Ministry of SOEs and PT Bio Farma Persero are currently jointly preparing the technical guidelines, which we hope we can finalize as soon as possible," said Nadia in a virtual press conference, Tuesday, July 13.

Initially, the vaccination of individuals included in the Gotong Royong scheme was planned to start on Monday, July 12. However, the government is currently delaying its implementation.

Therefore, Nadia asked health service facilities that open paid vaccinations, in this case PT Kimia Farma and will be expanded by a number of parties, to wait for technical instructions before reopening individual vaccination services.

"Health service facilities that have implemented individual Gotong Royong vaccinations, we ask to wait for the issuance of technical instructions for the implementation of individual Gotong Royong vaccinations," said Nadia.

In addition, Nadia also asked local governments not to provide queue numbers for paid vaccination users or user IDs before technical instructions are issued.

"We also ask the district and city health offices to wait for technical instructions that will soon be set by the Ministry of Health before giving user IDs to health care facilities that will serve individual Gotong Royong vaccinations," he continued.

Separately, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin ensured that paid vaccinations for individuals in the country used the Sinopharm vaccine purchased by industry and State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN).

"The Sinopharm vaccine was bought by Industry and BUMN. If a private grant from the King of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Mr. President Joko Widodo, Bio Farma did not sell it," he said while attending a virtual hearing at the Hearing Meeting (RDP) with Commission IX of the DPR

Minister of Health Budi said the Sinopharm vaccine granted by the UAE was managed very carefully by the Ministry of Health.

"We are very careful, every time we want to issue, we ask for direction from the President. At first, this vaccine was intended to be used for Hajj," he said.

However, because this year's Hajj has been cancelled, said Budi, according to President Joko Widodo's instructions, the Sinophram vaccine has been directed to people with disabilities.

"This is given as the President's personal quota to people with disabilities in the red zone," said the Minister of Health.