President Jokowi Asks All Journalists To Undergo The COVID-19 Vaccination Program

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Capture YouTube Screenshot of Presidential Secretariat)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asked all journalists in the country to immediately get vaccinated against COVID-19. This was conveyed by him after reviewing the vaccine administration to 5.500 journalists at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Senayan Jakarta at around 09.15 a.m. local time.

"We hope this (vaccination) will run in other provinces, so that all media crews, members of the press in the country will immediately get vaccinated", said President Jokowi while reviewing the vaccination activities as shown on the YouTube channel of the Presidential Secretariat. Thursday, February 25.

He explained that this vaccine is important. Moreover, media crews who have been working and in contact with many people so they can be protected from the spread of COVID-19.

"We hope this will provide protection to media crews, especially those in the field who frequently interact with the public, interact with resource persons", said the former governor of DKI Jakarta.

"And (the vaccines) provide good protection for press people who have been vaccinated this morning", he added.

In observing this mass vaccination program, President Jokowi was accompanied by Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin and Minister of Communication and Information Johnny G Plate, as well as Chairman of the Press Council Muhammad Nuh.

The vaccine administration will be carried out for three days from February 25 to February 28. This activity is in accordance with Jokowi's statement on the National Press Day some time ago.

As previously reported, the COVID-19 vaccine program in the country has begun since January 13. In the national COVID-19 vaccination program, the government is targeting 181.5 million vaccine targets. They are people aged 18 years old and over. Vaccine recipients receive twice the injection dose.

In the first phase, the vaccine is intended for 1.5 million health workers. As of today, health workers who have received the first dose of vaccination are 73.47 percent and the second dose is 29.85 percent.

Then, in the second stage, COVID-19 vaccination is for the elderly group and public service workers. The target is 21.5 million elderly and 16.9 million public workers. This program lasts until May.

They are market merchants, educators, religious leaders and counselors, representatives of the people, officials, government, civil servants, the National Army and Police Force (TNI-Polri), tourism officers, public services, public transportation workers, athletes, and media workers.

Furthermore, vaccination will be carried out for 63.9 million vulnerable people or people living in areas with a high risk of infection. Then, other communities as many as 77.7 million people. This program will be carried out from April 2021 to March 2022.