Ministry Of Health Assesses Fourth Dose Of Booster Vaccine For Health Workers

ILLUSTRA TION BY VOI

JAKARTA - Secretary of the Directorate General of Public Health of the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said that her party was currently reviewing plans to provide a fourth dose of COVID-19 booster vaccination specifically for health workers.

"The possibility of a booster vaccine for health workers is currently being studied regarding this fourth dose of booster vaccine", said Nadia in a virtual discussion, Thursday, February 24.

However, the Ministry of Health is still waiting for recommendations from the Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ITAGI) and professional organizations before holding the fourth dose of vaccination for the groups most prone to being exposed to COVID-19.

"We are still, in principle, waiting for recommendations from ITAGI and professional organizations at this time. So far we don't have a policy for giving a fourth booster vaccination for health workers", she said.

Previously, Deputy Minister of Health, Dante S. Harbuwono, said the administration of the fourth dose booster vaccine for all residents in Indonesia was still being evaluated and reviewed by the government.

"If later it is necessary with studies that we continue to evaluate and it turns out that we need a fourth amplifier, then the fourth amplifier may be carried out", said Dante.

Dante said, currently the government is continuing to evaluate the COVID-19 vaccination activity and has not yet decided when the fourth dose will be given, as has been done by several other countries.

Compared to following the developments of other countries that had already given the fourth dose, he emphasized that the Indonesian government was focusing on pursuing vaccination inequality between groups in society, both from the first or second dose throughout Indonesia.

The administration of the primary vaccine with a complete dose is targeted to be completed evenly by the government in June 2022, so that after that, the government will implement vaccination for all groups decided by the development of the COVID-19 trend in the population.

"After the primary vaccination is complete, we are targeting it to be completed in June. Then we evaluated it with epidemiological clinical trials. We need a fourth booster, a fourth booster may be needed. But now is not the time to do a fourth booster."