When Does COVID-19 Vaccination Target Children? This Is The Answer Of The Coordinating Minister For Human Development and Culture

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy said the COVID-19 vaccine will begin to be given to children aged 6-11 years after the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) gives permission.

After the permit is issued, the vaccine will be given to children in areas where the elderly vaccination rate is already high.

"Vaccination for children will be carried out after obtaining a permit and implemented at an early stage in areas that have high vaccination rates for the elderly," said Muhadjir in a Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) press conference broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube, Monday, November 1.

While waiting for permission, the government is currently focusing on providing the COVID-19 vaccine quickly to the public, especially the elderly. They need to be vaccinated immediately because they belong to a vulnerable group.

"Implementation of vaccinations for the elderly remains focused," he said.

Previously, Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that the provision of the COVID-19 vaccine to children under 12 years of age would likely be carried out in early 2022 after clinical trials were completed.

There are three types of vaccines that are currently being tested for use in children. The vaccines are Sinovac, Sinopharm, and Pfizer.

For information, an epidemiologist from Griffith University Australia, Dicky Budiman said vaccination in children is needed to achieve communal immunity or herd immunity in the population in Indonesia.

He said that if children were not vaccinated, it would be difficult for Indonesia to reach the target of herd immunity.

"Child vaccination is very important because the child population is 32 percent and in Indonesia, it's around 20 percent. If vaccinations for children are not counted, herd immunity will be difficult to achieve," said Dicky to VOI, Tuesday, September 28.

Dicky said a number of countries in the world have started vaccinations for children. He gave an example, Cuba has vaccinated children aged over 2 years using local vaccines.

Then, Cambodia and Chile have also vaccinated children aged over 6 years using Sinovac. Then, Israel vaccinated children aged over 5 years using a third of the Pfizer dose.

"Regarding the potential for vaccination for children under 12 years old, it's actually quite large. Many countries have started vaccinating children," he said.