Thousands Of Elementary School Students In Kediri Start Injecting COVID-19 Vaccines

Kediri Mayor Abdullah Abu Bakar accompanies children who take part in vaccinations at Banjaran Elementary School (ANTARA)

KEDIRI - Thousands of elementary school students in the city of Kediri, East Java, have been given the COVID-19 vaccination, as an effort to accelerate group immunity and prepare for face-to-face learning (PTM).

"Our hope is that PTM will go offline as usual. Because if it goes offline the economic impact will be even better, there will be no lag," said Kediri Mayor Abdullah Abu Bakar in Kediri, Antara, Thursday, December 16.

Abdullah added that his party had long hoped that the child vaccination policy would be realized. In the city of Kediri, for the first day around 1,800 students from several elementary schools were vaccinated. In total, around 26,000 children aged 6-11 years will be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The mayor is surprised that vaccination for this child can be carried out for up to one month. Currently, the team of vaccinators is also large, so it can be faster. The activity is carried out as a preparation for face-to-face learning (PTM).

"Our vaccines are also injected quickly, but children need special treatment. Some are brave and some are not," he said.

Regarding the achievement of vaccination in Kediri City, the Mayor said that for the first dose there was 123 percent, the second dose reached 98 percent and for the elderly vaccination it had reached 68 percent.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Health Office of Kediri, Dr. Fauzan Adima, said that children were also given a break of about 28 days after participating in the first stage of vaccination. The vaccination dose given is 0.5 milliliter.

"Today there are 11 schools and starting tomorrow the puskesmas will coordinate with elementary schools. We go to schools because they are more effective," he said.

He also hopes that this vaccination can run smoothly and there will be no significant obstacles. Dropping of vaccines from the center is also smooth, so it is on target.

In addition, the secretariat has also prepared if there are reports of follow-up events after immunization. The heavy ones can go to the Gambiran Hospital and the Bhayangkara Hospital in Kediri, while the light ones go to the puskesmas.

Meanwhile, Vineke, one of the students' parents said that he had prepared before his child would be vaccinated, by having breakfast and encouraging him because the vaccine did not hurt.

"He also saw that his parents were vaccinated, so he was brave. I prepared paracetamol at home, if he was sick," said the mother of Evelin, a first grade student at SD Banjaran 1 Kediri.