Monitored By Jokowi, Directed By Walkot Eri Cahyadi, 1,300 Middle And High School Students Participate In COVID Vaccinations In Surabaya

Middle-high school students receive the covid vaccine in East Java (Photo: ANTARA)

JATIM - Around 1,300 Junior High School (SMP) and High School (SMA) students participated in the COVID-19 mass vaccination which was held at SMP Negeri 1 Surabaya City, East Java, Wednesday, July 14 today.

"Those who haven't queued up to the screening table first. After that, they will be injected," said Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi while giving directions to students taking vaccinations, quoted from Antara.

The vaccination which was held at SMP Negeri 1 this time was different from the previous one because it was monitored directly by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi) virtually. Through the virtual meeting, President Jokowi invited all students not to be afraid of being vaccinated.

After attending a virtual meeting with President Jokowi, Mayor Eri and his entourage gave encouragement to a student who could not get an injection because his body temperature was above 38 degrees Celsius.

He ensures that when the body temperature drops, the child can be directly injected with the vaccine.

"So don't worry about running out of vaccine. Tomorrow or when the body temperature has dropped, come here again. The important thing is to be healthy first," he said.

Eri also thanked the Head of East Java Marsma TNI Rudy Iskandar for the vaccine assistance provided to the Surabaya City Government.

He targets the number of vaccinations in the "City of Heroes" to reach 50 thousand targets in a day. In fact, Eri calculates that the need for special vaccines for students in Surabaya reaches more than 300 thousand people.

"If we can do 50 thousand in a day then this will be completed in a week. But we are waiting for the vaccine from the central government, so that all students can be vaccinated according to the direction of the President," he said.

East Java Kabinda Marsma TNI Rudy Iskandar added that this activity was not only carried out in East Java, but simultaneously in around 14 epicenter areas where vaccinations were carried out for ages 12-17 years.

He stated that he would continue to synergize with the city and provincial governments to encourage the acceleration of vaccination in East Java.

"We work hand in hand with the three pillars to carry out vaccination activities," he said. A student from SMP Negeri 1 Surabaya Rahmad Haidar Pasha admitted that he was not sick after being injected with the vaccine.

He said the vaccine is important to do to increase the body's resistance. "The effect does not hurt at all, thank God," he said.