Waiting For The Results Of Clinical Trials, Children Under 12 Years Old Can Be Injected With The COVID-19 Vaccine Early Next Year

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin/PHOTO VIA Ministry of Health

JAKARTA - Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, said that the COVID-19 vaccine may be administered in early 2022 after clinical trials have been completed.

"The plan is that when the clinical trial results are out, we can start using it early next year", said Minister of Health Budi in a press conference broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Tuesday, October 26.

There are three types of vaccines that are currently being tested for use in children. The vaccines are Sinovac, Sinopharm, and Pfizer.

"It is hoped that by the end of the year the three vaccines will be issued for emergency use authorization. We are also working with the BPOM to ensure that we can issue them as soon as possible after in their countries of origin the three vaccines can be used for children aged 5-12 years", he said.

Previously, an epidemiologist from Griffith University Australia, Dicky Budiman, said that vaccination in children is needed to achieve communal immunity or herd immunity in the population in Indonesia.

Because, according to him, if children have not been vaccinated, it will be difficult for Indonesia to reach the target of herd immunity. "Child vaccination is very important because the child population is 32 percent and in Indonesia, it's around 20 percent. If vaccinations for children are not counted, herd immunity will be difficult to achieve", said Dicky to VOI, Tuesday, September 28.

Dicky said several countries in the world have started vaccinating children. He gave an example, Cuba has vaccinated children aged over 2 years using local vaccines.

Then, Cambodia and Chile have also vaccinated children aged over 6 years using Sinovac. Then, Israel vaccinated children aged over 5 years using a third of the Pfizer dose.

"Regarding the potential for vaccination for children under 12 years old, it's actually quite large. Many countries have started vaccinating children", he said.