Independent Vaccination Has Been Opened Employees And Their Families Are Given Free COVID-19 Vaccines

Illustration-injection of the COVID-19 vaccine (Photo: DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The government has officially opened the COVID-19 vaccination program independently, which is imposed on the private sector or through independent channels.

This is stated in the Minister of Health Regulation Number 10 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of Vaccinations in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Through this regulation, the independent vaccination program is called mutual vaccination. Based on Article 3 Paragraph 5 of this Permenkes, it is stated that vaccination is given to employees/female employees, families, and other individuals free of charge.

This means that companies that are implementing this program must provide the COVID-19 vaccine for free to employees and their families.

"Employees/female workers, families, and other related individuals in the family as recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine in mutual cooperation vaccination services are free of charge", read the article quoted on Friday, February 26.

Furthermore, Article 6 of the Minister of Health Regulation 10/2021 states that every company is required to report data on the target recipients of vaccination independently or together to the Minister of Health. The data reported is the number of vaccination participants, names, addresses, and identification numbers.

Furthermore, Article 22 also states that the vaccination cannot be carried out in government-owned health service facilities. Companies or employers must cooperate with private or private health facilities which are then required to coordinate with the local health office.

As for the vaccine price limit for self-vaccination, it will be set by the Minister of Health.

"The maximum rates for mutual cooperation vaccination services is determined by the minister. The cost of mutual vaccination services carried out by public/private health service facilities must not exceed the maximum rates set by the minister", Article 23 reads.

As previously reported, the COVID-19 vaccine program in the country 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 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 the 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.