Responding To News About Vaccinations Just After 10 Years, Minister Of Health: We're Not That Stupid

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

JAKARTA - Health Minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, said Indonesia is currently in the top 10 as the most advanced country in implementing COVID-19 vaccination. He even said, as of today the number of doses that have been injected has reached 83 million.

"Now Indonesia's position is number nine in the world in terms of vaccination. Maybe today it will rise to the eighth rank from the amount injected", said Budi in an online press conference broadcast Monday, August 16.

"This is to answer doubts through the writing of a well-known magazine that said at this rate Indonesia will reach 10 years. We say we are not that stupid and can finish the vaccine faster", he added.

Budi then detailed that from January 13 to July 8, the government had injected up to 50 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, the COVID-19 vaccine has also reached 1.6 million doses per day.

So, he believes the target of 50 million injections by the end of August can be achieved. "With hard work, we can achieve", said Budi.

The former Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises said that from January to July or in the span of 7 months, 90 million doses of vaccine have arrived in the country. Furthermore, this number will increase to 70 doses this month.

"So we imagine we have to inject 7 months, we have to inject in one month", he said.

For this reason, Budi asked for the cooperation of all parties so that the target of giving the COVID-19 vaccine could be achieved. Moreover, Indonesia is the most advanced country in providing vaccines.

For information, as of August 16, 54,382,680 people had received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination and 28,524,986 people had received the second dose of vaccination based on data from the Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, the target for vaccination in Indonesia is 208,265,720 people.