Limited Stock Of Vaccines, Minister Of Health Budi: The First 6 Months Can Only Be For 45 Million People

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin / Antara

JAKARTA - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin admitted that Indonesia only received 90 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in the first six months of the national vaccination.

One vaccination target person gets two doses of the injection. That way, from January 13 to the next six months, or January-June, the COVID-19 vaccine can only be given to 45 million people.

"In the first six months, we could only get 90 million doses of the vaccine from the needs of around 363 million doses for all 181 million Indonesians. So you can imagine, 45 million people, 90 million doses of injections were injected in the first 6 months", Budi said in a virtual discussion, Thursday, March 4.

Budi said, President Joko Widodo is targeting the coronavirus vaccination program to be completed within one year. Therefore, the remaining 140 million vaccine target communities or 270 million injection doses were carried out in the second six months.

According to Budi, the vaccination activity in the second six months has more challenges than before. This is because the government must pursue targets that have not been vaccinated.

"Right now, because the vaccines are still low, we will try how much is the capacity. Later in the second semester, once the full number of vaccines arrives, we can inject maybe 140 million within a six-month tag. That's a very high challenge", said Budi.

"And we can't do it alone, we can do this together with all components of the country", he added.

In the national COVID-19 vaccination program, the government is targeting 181.5 million vaccine targets. They are people aged 18 years and over. Vaccine recipients receive twice the injection dose.

In the first phase, the vaccine is intended for 1.5 million health workers. 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.

They are market traders, 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.

During the second phase of vaccination, members of the legislature also received the COVID-19 vaccination. Since February 24, hundreds of members of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) and their family members have received vaccine rations. Likewise, members of the DKI Regional Representative Council (DPRD).

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.