Beware, The Attitude Of Rejecting The Vaccine From Ribka Tjiptaning Can Affect Other People

Member of Commission IX DPR from the PDIP faction Ribka Tjiptaning stated that he refused the COVID-19 vaccination in the RDP at the DPR with the Minister of Health, January 12 (Capture the DPR RI YouTube screen)

JAKARTA - Member IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the PDI Perjuangan fraction Ribka Tjiptaning rejects the COVID-19 vaccine and prefers to pay a fine, at a time when the government is aggressively campaigning for vaccines in the community to suppress the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Epidemiologist from Australia's Griffith University Dicky Budiman regretted Ribka's statement. He said, although this statement reflected the attitude of a number of people, this should not have been done by Ribka Tjiptaning as a member of parliament who has many supporters.

"Actually I really regret because of his position as a politician who has voters who will listen to what he has to say," he said.

He said, Ribka's statement could influence the public or at least the voters to refuse vaccines.

"This will at least be a matter of thought for some people, especially if they have a medical background, yes, although not all doctors are exposed to this vaccine information," said Dicky.

For this reason, Dicky asked the government to move quickly in an effort to communicate with the public so that this kind of issue could be immediately clarified.

"This should be a major evaluation material because this is a serious matter. Given the rejection, especially overtly like this, it reflects that there will indeed be challenges in implementing vaccinations during this pandemic and it turns out that among these politicians, one of them is this Ribka doctor," he said. .

Ribka's refusal was conveyed during a working meeting between Commission IX DPR RI and Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Head of BPOM and Managing Director of Bio Farma, Tuesday, January 12.

He refused because he considered the stage three clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine to be used had not yet been completed. Plus, there have been many bad experiences with vaccines, including stories about children who were just vaccinated against polio and then become paralyzed.

Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Parliament Azis Syamsuddin said that this attitude is the right of each person. But, he appealed to all parties, including DPR members, to support the COVID-19 vaccination program.

"We, from the leadership of the parliament, appeal to all elements, both members and fellow journalists in parliament to be able to participate in making the community healthier as a whole. One of the ways to make people healthful is through vaccines," Azis told reporters at the parliament complex, Senayan, Jakarta. Center, Wednesday, January 13.

This participation and support is deemed necessary because President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has set an example by being the first person to get the Sinovac vaccine in Indonesia.

Azis hopes that all DPR members can set an example in the same way. "Hopefully this can be followed by all elements of the nation without exception including friends in the parliament," he said.

Jokowi was vaccinated

President Jokowi is trying to encourage this vaccination so that it can be carried out by all people without exception. Since the beginning of the discourse on the COVID-19 vaccination to be given, he has always said that he will be the first vaccine recipient to convince the public.

Together with a number of parties, Jokowi became the first vaccine recipient in the country on Wednesday, yesterday. After being vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine, he admitted that he did not feel anything except feeling a little sore two hours later.

"I didn't feel anything when I was injected. But after two hours, I felt a little sore, a little sore," said Jokowi.

"Of course I hope that later the entire community, all the people are willing to be vaccinated because this is our effort to be free from the pandemic. Regarding the time, all of this must be patient because it is arranged in stages and carried out gradually," he said.

"But certainly this vaccine is free," he added.

PDI Perjuangan supports vaccination

PDI-P Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto asked the public to take a full look at Ribka's statement. The point delivered by Ribka is to remind the line of health policy policies that should prioritize the interests and safety of the community

"Mbak Ribka Tjipaning emphasized that the state should not do business with the people. Do not allow services to the community as seen in PCR services in different practices," said Hasto.

Hasto said, the party bearing the bull symbol from the beginning supported government policies including public health. In fact, he said, his party proposed that the COVID-19 vaccine be given free of charge.

Apart from that, the attitude of the party faction at the meeting also supported the vaccination program but also criticized public services so that they would not be commercialized.

"Vaccines for the people are very important. This is the attitude of the party. In the decision of the working meeting with the Minister of Health, the PDI-P faction of the DPR RI also supports it. Criticism that public services are not commercialized is part of the DPR's function of supervision," he said.