Anies Suggests Foreign Asylum Seekers To Be Vaccinated With COVID-19, Ministry Of Health: The Priority Is Still Indonesian Citizens

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for vaccination from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), Siti Nadia Tarmizi said that her party has not allowed the implementation of government program vaccinations for foreign citizens (foreigners) seeking asylum.

This is in response to a proposal letter from the Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan who asked for permission to carry out free COVID-19 vaccinations for the foreign refugees.

"The proposal to vaccinate foreign asylum seekers has not been targeted for vaccination, but Indonesian citizens are the priority," said Nadia in a short message to VOI, Monday, August 16.

Nadia said that the Ministry of Health has not considered when the government program vaccination is allowed for foreigners. Because, currently communal immunity or herd immunity has not been achieved.

"There are still many of our Indonesian citizens who have not received the vaccine, yes," said Nadia. Previously, Anies suggested that foreign asylum seekers in Jakarta could participate in getting the COVID-19 vaccination. This is stated in a letter by letter Number 297/-1,772.1 which was sent to the Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin dated July 12, 2021.

In the letter, Anies views that foreign asylum seekers cannot participate in the paid Mutual Cooperation (VGR) Vaccination program. Therefore, Anies asked these foreign refugees to be vaccinated for free.

"Based on the results of the evaluation of the vaccination implementation in DKI Jakarta, there are foreigners who are vulnerable to COVID-19 transmission and it is not possible to use VGR, namely foreigners who are refugees and asylum seekers," Anies said in the letter.

Anies explained that these asylum seekers live and work with other Indonesian citizens. They have relatively difficulty implementing strict health protocols and self-isolation. So, they also need protection.

He said that vaccination for asylum seekers had been proposed by the international agency United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to the Health Service on March 17, 2021.

However, the proposal from UNHCR is only limited to asylum seekers who meet the elderly criteria and have coorbids.

"With the implementation of vaccination for all groups of people aged 12 years and over, we propose that vaccinations for refugees and asylum seekers can also be given to all outside the segment proposed by UNHCR," said Anies.