JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Mohammad Syahril said the government was considering a proposal for full-dose COVID-19 vaccination for children under the age of 6 years.
"We are in the process of proposing vaccinations for children under 6 years old. We are currently waiting for the recommendation of the Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ITAGI) because several countries have already done that," said Mohammad Syahril, who was confirmed via telephone, Friday, July 22.
Syahril, who is also the President Director of RSPI Sulianti Saroso Jakarta, said a number of important considerations discussed by the Ministry of Health with ITAGI regarding the program were the availability of vaccines in the country.
The reason is that vaccinations for children under the age of 6 years may be rolled out in tandem with the government's target to catch up with booster dose vaccine coverage in adults and the elderly.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, booster vaccinations in Indonesia to date have only reached 53.89 million people or equivalent to 25.88 percent of the target target of more than 208 million people.
The coverage of the primary complete dose (dose two) reached more than 169 million people or equivalent to 81.49 percent and the first dose of 202 million people or more or equivalent to 97.04 percent of the target target.
"One, two and booster doses of vaccines are still a priority for the government and have not made other priorities," he said.
In addition, said Syahril, the government is also considering a follow-up vaccination program in the form of a booster for groups of people 6-18 years old in Indonesia as well as a fourth dose or a second booster.
He said the primary complete dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and the booster (booster) dose as an immune enhancer could decrease within six months.
Meanwhile, experts in health sciences and epidemiology predict that SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 will continue to exist in the community for a long time.
"Booster provides protection so that you don't fall sick more severely when you get a new variant of COVID-19. We'll see if it goes hand in hand or not, because boosters for children 6-18 years old are also our consideration and the fourth dose is also," he said.
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