Attention To NTT, Central Java And Yogyakarta: The COVID-19 Vaccine There Is About To Expire

Photo: BPMI Setpres/Rusman

JAKARTA - Special attention is paid to the regions of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Central Java, and the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY). The vaccines in the three regions are about to expire.

This was revealed by the Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin. According to him, the COVID-19 vaccine in the health office storage facilities in three provinces is approaching its expiration date.

"The President emphasized that please be careful with expired vaccines, so there are several provinces whose reports have reached him", said Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Monday, November 15.

Budi conveyed the Ministry of Health's plan to divert vaccines that are nearing the expiration date to several other areas that still need them.

"If, for example, it is close to expiry, maybe we can transfer it to other provinces that still need it. We can transfer it to the TNI and Police", he said.

On that occasion, Budi also reported on the achievement of vaccination in the country which continues to show a positive trend. As of Monday afternoon, 216 million injections have been given to 130.6 million Indonesians, 84.5 million have received complete vaccinations.

"So from the target population of 208 million people we have to vaccinate, 62 percent have received the first dose of vaccination and 40 percent have received a complete vaccination", he said.

Budi said Indonesia's vaccination achievement continues to stand at the rate of 1.6 to 2 million injections per day.

If that figure is consistently achieved, Budi said, it is estimated that by the end of 2021, the total injections could reach 290 million to 300 million injections.

"The estimate for dose one is 161 million people or 78 percent of the target population and the projected dose for the second could reach around 118 million, that's close to 60 percent", he said.

Budi ensured that this achievement exceeded the target-directed by the World Health Organization (WHO) which was 40 percent of the complete dose by the end of the year.

Budi added that Indonesia's current stock of vaccines is relatively safe to achieve the year-end target.

"Until now there are 276 million. 267 million of them have been distributed to regencies/cities and provinces, of which 206 million have been used. So there are still around 60 million in stock in regencies/cities and provinces", he said.