Virologist Appropriate Value Of Government Policy Regarding Eid 2022 Homecoming Travelers Must Have Booster Vaccinations

SEMARANG - The government requires that Eid 2022 travelers have received a COVID-19 booster vaccine. Virologist from Jenderal Soedirman University (Unsoed), Dr Daniel Joko Wahyono MBiomed assessed that the government's policy was very appropriate.

"The booster vaccine policy as a condition for going home is very appropriate to provide optimal protection to the community," he said in Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, Tuesday, March 29.

He explained that the booster vaccine policy for the conditions for going home was expected to suppress and control the number of COVID-19 cases with severe clinical symptoms.

"Moreover, based on the WHO recommendation that the booster vaccine is effective in dealing with the various new variants of COVID-19, it is hoped that it can provide more protection for each individual," he said, as reported by Antara.

Daniel added, the purpose of booster dose vaccination is to strengthen a person's immunity.

"Thus, it is hoped that a person's immune system will be immunocompetent, one of which can be seen from the high antibody level. Therefore, I think the government's policy is the right thing," he added.

With this policy, it is hoped that the coverage of COVID-19 vaccination, both the first, second and third doses or boosters will be wider.

"Vaccination coverage must continue to be increased, especially for vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, pregnant women, children and those with comorbidities," he said.

This, he said, was aimed at supporting the program to accelerate the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

He reminded that the spike in COVID-19 cases could be prevented by strengthening health protocols and intensifying vaccination programs.

"The key to preventing a spike in COVID-19 cases is that people need to continue to obey the government's recommendations by being disciplined in implementing health protocols and immediately getting vaccinated for those who haven't," he said.

The Unsoed Faculty of Biology lecturer who teaches the virology course explained, although recently there has been a decline in COVID-19 cases, the community needs to continue to strengthen health protocols, because the COVID-19 pandemic has not ended.