Minister Of Health Admits That The Omicron Sub-variant COVID-19 Is In Indonesia

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin (DOK Ministry of Health)

JAKARTA - Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin acknowledged that the COVID-19 sub-variant Omicron BA.2 already exists in the country. The spread of this variant is even said to dominate over the last two months.

"This sub-variant already exists in Indonesia. The final results of our last genome sequencing in more than two months, we have done 8,032 genome sequencing recently, this portion of BA.2 is already dominant in Indonesia," said Budi in a press conference broadcast on Presidential Secretariat YouTube, Monday, March 14.

Budi said this sub variant has led to an increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths in three countries such as Hong Kong, South Korea and the UK. But, he asked the public not to panic to react to it.

The reason is that the three countries, especially Hong Kong, have experienced an increase in cases and deaths due to very low elderly vaccination coverage. Budi said that in Hong Kong, only 26 percent of elderly people received the vaccine.

Learning from this incident, the government asked the public, especially the elderly, to immediately get a complete COVID-19 vaccine. In fact, if necessary after receiving two doses immediately receive a third or booster dose.

"Once again, those who have died and been admitted to hospitals around the world, we see in Hong Kong, yes, most of them are elderly people whose vaccinations are not complete," said the former Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises.

"Therefore, it is imperative that we hasten complete vaccinations or at least two doses and ideally three doses to our elderly to protect them," added Budi.

Minister of Health Budi also appealed to the public not to choose the type of vaccine. He reminded all parties who have not been vaccinated, immediately injected two doses.

For those who have parents or elderly families who have not been vaccinated, Budi asked the community to help to convince them.

"Please immediately, be it the first vaccination, second vaccination, third vaccination without choosing the type of vaccine. Because all vaccines that have efficacy have passed the WHO efficacy," said Budi.

"If there is a slight (at least, red) difference and it will be much more useful if friends get the vaccine sooner. So don't wait or choose a vaccine," he concluded.