Government Provides Direct Booster Vaccine Services, Especially For Homecomers

JAKARTA - Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin revealed that the government will provide a third or booster dose of COVID-19 vaccination service for people who will travel for Lebaran this year.

This booster vaccination service aims to make it easier for people who want to go back to their hometowns and don't need to take a COVID-19 test as a condition of travel.

Thus, travelers can immediately get a booster when they just enter the homecoming route or before using long-distance public transportation.

"An alternative is to inject a second or booster dose of vaccination at places that will be provided by the government on this homecoming route," Budi said in a virtual press conference, Wednesday, March 23.

This vaccination service, Budi continued, will be prepared by the Ministry of Transportation through public transportation facilities for those who go home using public transportation or at several points for those using private vehicles.

"If they want to be given a boost at that time, the Ministry of Transportation will prepare places for free vaccination in public transportation facilities and several posts where people can get a booster injection immediately before going home," he said.

For information, President Joko Widodo has allowed people to go home for Lebaran this year freely as long as they have received the third dose of COVID-19 vaccination or booster.

More specifically, people who have not undergone a booster can still go home but with certain conditions. The Minister of Health explained that people who have just received two doses or a complete dose of vaccination are required to do an antigen test before traveling. Meanwhile, people who have just received the first dose of vaccine must perform a PCR test.

"When we go home, try to give the injection a complete vaccination plus a booster, it won't need to be tested later. But if only two complete doses have not been boosted, an antigen test must be attached, if one dose is not complete, a PCR test must be attached," he added.