Starting Tomorrow, Free Booster Vaccinations Will Be Given Half Dosage Using This Vaccine Combination

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin (Photo: DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the third or booster dose of vaccination will be carried out tomorrow, Wednesday, January 12, 2022. The vaccine will be given half a dose.

Budi explained that the government will provide booster vaccinations taking into account the availability of vaccines this year. Tomorrow's booster vaccine will be given by a combination method of the type of vaccine received by the previous vaccine target.

"The booster vaccination will be given starting on the 12th in accordance with the consideration of the readiness of the existing vaccines and also the results of research from domestic and foreign researchers, which have been confirmed by BPOM and ITAGI," said Budi in a Youtube broadcast of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Tuesday. , January 11th.

Budi explained that there are three alternatives for giving booster vaccinations with different vaccine combination methods from primary or heterologous vaccines. The booster vaccine will be given half the dose.

First, for the primary vaccine or the first and second doses using Sinovac, a half dose of Pfizer booster will be given. Second, the Sinovac primary vaccine will be given a half-dose booster of AstraZeneca. Third, the AstraZeneca primary vaccine will be given a half-dose booster of Moderna.

"The combination of booster vaccines that will be given may increase the types of combinations," said Budi.

Furthermore, Budi said that the free booster vaccination will be carried out at government-owned health care facilities such as puskesmas, government hospitals, and hospitals owned by local governments.

Previously, President Joko Widodo decided to free the cost of the third or booster dose of COVID-19 vaccination to all Indonesians.

"I have decided that this third vaccine is free for all Indonesians," Jokowi said in his statement at the Merdeka Palace.

Jokowi emphasized that the free booster vaccination was carried out considering that the safety of the people was the main thing in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The priority targets for vaccination are the elderly and vulnerable groups. This is because this group needs more protection from other age groups.

"Starting January 12, 2022, the government will carry out a third vaccination with priority for the elderly and vulnerable groups. This effort is important to do to increase the community's immunity, given the COVID-19 that continues to mutate," said Jokowi.