Petition Appears To Cancel Vaccination As An Administrative Requirement, Ministry Of Health Responds: For Community's Own Protection

JAKARTA - A petition has appeared on the change.org page rejecting the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination as an administrative requirement. This petition has a target of 25,000 signatures.

The petition with the title "Cancel Vaccine Card as an Administrative Requirement" is addressed to President Joko Widodo, the Chair and Deputy Chairpersons of the Indonesian House of Representatives, the Ministry of Health, and the spokesperson for vaccination from the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi.

Lis Sinatra as the petitioner views the vaccination requirements for activities such as going to the mall and traveling to have a negative impact.

Because, in his view, there is a possibility that people will experience post-immunization follow-up events (AEFI), especially for comorbid patients.

"If this rule is still enforced, what about people who do not meet the vaccine requirements but they still have to vaccinate because of the policy, will there be any person who will be responsible if there is an unwanted event after vaccination?" wrote Lis in the petition.

Therefore, Lis asked the government to provide other solutions and evaluate the rules for having been vaccinated for activities.

Siti Nadia Tarmizi responded to the emergence of the petition. Nadia asked the public to understand that vaccination is an important effort to suppress the spread of COVID-19 and protect all Indonesians from becoming seriously ill and dying from the COVID-19 virus.

"This is for the protection and interests of the people themselves," Nadia told VOI, Wednesday, September 8.

For that, Nadia said, the use of the vaccine card in the PeduliLindung application as a requirement for travel, entering malls and restaurants, as well as a number of other activities aims to provide safety and security for the public when carrying out activities in public places.

From the results of the evaluation of the use of the PeduliLindung application as of Monday, September 6, 2021, 1,625 COVID-19 positive people are still active in public spaces and this of course endangers the safety of those around them.

"We urge the public to follow the national vaccination program and comply with regulations to use the PeduliLindung application if they have to do activities outside the home for the safety of us, our families and other communities," he concluded.