Balikpapan's COVID-19 Vaccination Postponed Until February, Priority Vaccines For Samarinda And Kukar

Sinovac's anti-COVID-19 vaccine upon arrival in Balikpapan in early January 2021 (ANTARA)

BALIKPAPAN - The implementation of COVID-19 vaccination for medical personnel in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan has been postponed until February. The reason is that the 23 thousand doses of vaccine that came last week are devoted to Samarinda and Kutai Kartanegara (Kukar).

"According to a letter from the Ministry of Health to the East Kalimantan Health Office, that for the first phase of vaccination in East Kalimantan for health workers in provincial and regency capitals directly adjacent to the provincial capital," said Head of Balikpapan Health Service, dr Andi Sri Juliarty, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, January 12. .

Vaccination for the areas bordering Balikpapan will begin on January 15. The priority remains, namely health workers who face and deal directly with COVID-19 patients.

Based on a letter from the Minister of Home Affairs, important officials at the provincial level were vaccinated, namely the governor, the DPRD leadership, the provincial secretary, and the director of the referral hospital and the head of the health department.

Vaccinations for Balikpapan are included in the first phase of the second term which is scheduled for February.

According to the quota from the Ministry of Health, Balikpapan received 11,560 doses of vaccine for 5,759 health workers and 10 important officials. Each received two shots of the vaccine.

Top officials are taking the first turn to convince the public that a vaccine is safe and effective against COVID-19. Sequentially starting from the center, where President Joko Widodo was the first, then in East Kalimantan, Governor Isran Noor was also the first.

In addition, Dr. Juliarty as Head of the Health Service is currently also included in the group of important officials, especially in his role in fighting COVID-19. Earlier last week there were 20 thousand more doses of vaccine for East Kalimantan. The vaccine from Sinovac, China, which is distributed by Bio Farma, is just waiting for the permission from the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) to be given to people according to the priority rules set by the government.