COVID-19 Case Deaths Appear Again, But Fourth Dose Vaccination for Jakarta Residents is Still 10 Percent

PIXABAY ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - COVID-19 cases in Jakarta have increased over the past month. In fact, this month another COVID-19 case death appeared. The DKI Jakarta Health Service noted that the achievement of the fourth dose of vaccination in Jakarta is still very low.

"Of the approximately 8.4 million people targeted for administering doses 1-4 aged 18 years and over in DKI Jakarta, currently coverage of dose 4 has only been reached 10 percent," said Head of the Epidemiological Surveillance and Immunization Section of the DKI Jakarta Health Office, Ngabila Salama in his statement, Tuesday, December 12.

Therefore, Ngabila suggested that people in Jakarta immediately get vaccinated. The DKI Provincial Government is still providing COVID-19 vaccinations by coming directly to a number of health service facilities.

The location is at the Tarakan District Hospital on Monday-Saturday 08.00 a.m. - 12.00 p.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), the DKI Jakarta City Hall Clinic on Monday-Friday 13.00 p.m. - 16.00 p.m. WIB, and all DKI Jakarta sub-district health centers during working hours.

"Vaccination has proven to be very effective in preventing the severity and death of COVID-19, especially for groups at high risk of death, starting from pre-elderly, elderly, people with comorbid hypertension, diabetes mellitus, stroke, heart and kidney disease, cancer, tuberculosis, HIV and other immunodeficiencies. "This group is a priority for immediate immunization," explained Ngabila.

Ngabila continued, vaccination service facilities in Jakarta can inject residents with KTPs throughout Indonesia. Currently the available vaccine doses are 1,2,3,4 of the Inavac vaccine brand. However, this vaccine cannot be given to people under 18 years of age, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

"There is no need to choose a vaccine brand or have to be a certain brand of vaccine. According to the SE Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia dated 22 May 2023, the first to fourth doses can be given with any brand that is available," he said.

It is known that the death of this COVID-19 case reappeared when Indonesia entered the COVID-19 endemic. The two positive cases that died occurred in December 2023 after previously there were no case deaths for 2 consecutive months.

The two COVID-19 cases who died were elderly. One case had comorbid hypertension. Meanwhile, one other case had comorbid stroke and heart failure, and had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 at all.

Furthermore, Ngabila explained that there had been an increase in COVID-19 cases in the last month. In fact, new cases over the past week have increased four times from last week.

"There were 271 positive cases in a week in DKI Jakarta from December 4-10," said Ngabila.

Previously, weekly new COVID-19 cases in the period November 6-12 were recorded at 40 cases, November 13-19 55 cases, November 20-26 62 cases, and November 27-December 3 80 cases.