Paid Vaccines Delayed, DPR: Don't Sell Grant Vaccines

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/BETWEEN

JAKARTA - Member of Commission IX DPR Nurhadi asked the government to refrain from making counterproductive policies in the midst of handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to him, the government should not take advantage of paid vaccine programs, especially independent or mutual cooperation vaccines. The reason is that people have to pay more than Rp800 thousand for two doses of Sinopharm vaccine at Kimia Farma clinic.

"So far, people know that vaccination is free because it is the government's responsibility during a pandemic. Don't let this issue become a turmoil in the community and disrupt a relatively well-run program," Nurhadi told reporters on Monday, July 12.

Previously, the Spokesperson for the COVID-19 vaccination of the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, had explained that this individual Gotong Royong vaccination was only an option to accelerate the implementation of vaccination. However, Kimia Farma has decided to postpone the schedule for access to mutual cooperation vaccines after a number of protests.

"The aim is good, but it seems grudging. I agree that this has been postponed and transparent socialization should really be carried out so as not to give rise to many interpretations and the government or certain parties are considered to be commercializing the COVID-19 pandemic," explained Nurhadi, the NasDem politician.

Moreover, the East Java electoral district legislator continued, the launch of the mutual cooperation vaccine should have been submitted to the DPR, especially Commission IX in charge of health issues. Because, said Nurhadi, from the beginning in the context of handling the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided that vaccination for the people was free of charge.

"Therefore, when the independent or individual vaccination policy emerged, it was quite confusing. Commission IX was also never spoken to. So I am worried that if people understand that having to pay, it will be counter-productive. Therefore, it must be considered again, reviewed again," said Nurhadi.

To create herd immunity, he said, government readiness and overall public awareness are needed. "So I think the acceleration of vaccination does not have to be followed by a paid vaccination policy.

I am afraid that there is an assumption in the wider community that in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, the state does business with its people," he said.

Nurhadi then gave a number of suggestions and inputs to the Ministry of Health, Kimia Farma and relevant stakeholders if the independent or individual vaccines were to be carried out.

First, first propose to the DPR, and if approved, first massively socialize the difference between free vaccines and mutual cooperation vaccines.

"Vaccines that can be purchased individually, the legal umbrella must also be prepared," he reminded.

Second, the vaccines that are sold are vaccines that are not the same as those that are free of charge by the government. "Thirdly, don't sell aid vaccines or grants from other countries," said Nurhadi.

Previously, the paid Individual Gotong Royong vaccination schedule, which was originally accessible at Kimia Farma Clinic, was postponed today. Kimia Farma will first extend the socialization process.

"We apologize that the Individual Mutual Assistance Vaccination schedule which originally started on Monday, July 12, 2021, will be postponed until further notice," said Corporate Communications PT Kimia Farma Apotek, Novia Valentina, Monday, July 12.

Kimia Farma claims that it is necessary to extend the socialization period for this paid Gotong Royong vaccination because of the enthusiasm of the public who want to know more about the vaccine.

"The great interest and the many questions that came in made the management decide to extend the socialization period for individual Gotong Royong vaccinations and arrangements for registration of prospective participants," he said.