COVID-19 Mutations Begin To Be Discovered, Minister Of Health Requests For Accelerating The COVID-19 Vaccination Program

ILLUSTRATION / BETWEEN

JAKARTA - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that a number of COVID-19 mutations were being discovered in Indonesia. The Minister of Health asked that vaccinations be carried out before these mutations spread massively.

Budi said he had reported to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) regarding the mutation of COVID-19 that had been found in Indonesia. This report was conveyed during a meeting at the State Palace, Jakarta.

"It has been reported to the President because there have been new mutations that have entered India. There are two incidents that we saw, both in Jakarta and one incident from South Africa that was in Bali", Budi said in a press conference broadcast on the YouTube account of the Presidential Secretariat, Monday, May 3.

"So apart from mutations from Britain, which now has 13 incidents and two mutations, there is one mutation from South Africa", he added.

According to him, this mutation is included in the variant category that is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO). The reason is that this type of mutation has a relatively higher prevalence.

Thus, various ways have been taken by the government, including asking all regional heads to accelerate the vaccination program. Even though it is currently in the month of Ramadan, he warned that vaccination is still allowed and will not cancel the fast.

"As long as the few mutations are mutations from India, South Africa from England, it is the right time for us to do vaccinations to protect ourselves and our families", he said.

"Therefore, please encourage vaccination even though fasting and Eid because it is permitted", added the former Deputy Minister of State-owned Enterprises (BUMN).

Furthermore, Budi ensured that the supply of the COVID-19 vaccine was sufficient. He detailed that the government had received 3.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine again. According to the plan, the vaccine produced by the European company will come again as many as 1.8 million doses.

That way, the total AstraZeneca vaccine that the government will have is 5.6 million doses.

In addition, PT Bio Farma (Persero) will also produce 18 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac in April 2021. "So that the vaccine raw materials are sufficient, so it is advised to be vaccinated immediately", he said.

As previously reported, the COVID-19 vaccination program has been held by the government since January 2021. In the first stage, the government prioritizes health workers to be vaccinated.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 vaccination is given to public service officers, the elderly, and teachers. The government also targets that 181.5 million Indonesians will be vaccinated by the end of 2021.