Achievements Still Minimized, Government Speeds Up Second Booster COVID-19 Vaccination At Least 50 Percent

Illustration of the COVID 19 (ANTARA) vaccine

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) is looking for ways to speed up the increase in the coverage of the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccination or the second booster to 50 percent of the total vaccination targets. Currently, the achievement of the second COVID-19 booster vaccination is still around 1.34 percent or 3,162,029 people out of the total vaccination target in Indonesia 234,666,020 people. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, M. Syahril, said that efforts to increase the number of the second booster vaccination were carried out to extend the protection period from COVID-19 and ensure that there was no spike in cases in Indonesia. "The acceleration of vaccination targets at least 50 percent of the population aged 18 years and over to receive a booster dose while still prioritizing high risk groups such as the elderly," Syahril said in his statement, Friday, May 12. Syahril said the policy of giving the second dose of COVID-19 vaccination had been based on careful consideration. First, data and the epidemiological situation of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia which has been fluctuating in recent times. Second, ensuring that Indonesia does not increase in the wave of cases due to the threat of a new variant. "This second dose of booster is very important to control the spread of COVID-19 and prevent a spike in cases," he explained. In the last two weeks, there has indeed been an increase in the trend of confirmed cases of COVID-19, active cases, and patient care in hospitals. Even confirmed COVID-19 has reached more than 2,600 cases. Furthermore, Syahril said, about 30 percent of COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized had not received a complete or booster dose of COVID-19 vaccination and were dominated by the elderly. and almost half of the patients who died in the hospital have not received vaccinations. For this reason, Syahril requested that the revocation of the health emergency status for COVID-19 not cause excessive euphoria. The public must remain careful and vigilant, because the SARS Cov2 virus that causes COVID-19 is still around us, so the potential for transmission remains.

According to him, giving boosters as well as a way to accelerate the emergency transition that is currently being carried out by Indonesia following the revocation of global health emergency status for COVID-19 by WHO on Friday, May 5. "The booster award also answered the public's request for the provision of a second booster dose of vaccine given the rapid economic recovery and increased community mobility," he added.