UGM Epidemiologist: COVID-19 Pandemic To Endemic Waits For 100 Percent Vaccination

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YOGYAKARTA - Gadjah Mada University (UGM) epidemiologist Bayu Satria Wiratama said the government's plan to turn the COVID-19 pandemic into an endemic one should wait for vaccination coverage in Indonesia to reach 100 percent.

"Because we can no longer say that (vaccination) is only 70 percent on target. If you want to go that way, you must all be vaccinated," said Bayu, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, March 9.

According to Bayu, with vaccination reaching 100 percent of the community's immunity, including vulnerable groups and the elderly, has been formed at the same level so that if infected with COVID-19 the severity is mild.

In addition to vaccines for doses one and two to reach 100 percent, he also hopes that the booster vaccination coverage will reach at least 50 percent.

"Because in the future, for example, new variants will emerge, maybe apart from Omicron, hopefully immunity will already be formed," he said.

The formation of population immunity, according to him, is the key to getting to the endemic phase.

One of the indicators that vaccination can increase immunity, according to him, can be seen from the severity and decreased number of deaths.

"As in the Omicron era, the number of deaths is not as high as it used to be and the hope is that it will fall even further," he said.

The transition from pandemic to endemic, according to Bayu, is like influenza. The virus and sufferers are still there but not to the point of severe severity.

The change from an influenza pandemic to an endemic one takes a long time to a dozen years because there is no vaccine as of now, so the formation of immunity is only waiting for natural infection.

"The flu doesn't go away, but after a while the flu becomes mild so it doesn't cause death anymore. In the past, the process took up to a dozen years," he said.

After becoming endemic for COVID-19, according to him, wearing a mask is no longer mandatory.

"Later, in public places, you will no longer have to wear a mask, so it is only recommended to wear a mask if you are sick," he said.