Regarding The Halal Vaccine, The Banyumas Health Office Is Waiting For A New Policy From The Central Government

Illustration/Photo: Antara

PURWOKERTO - The Banyumas District Health Office (Dinkes), Central Java, is still waiting for a new policy from the central government related to the implementation of COVID-19 vaccination after the decision of the Supreme Court (MA) regarding halal vaccines.

"Therefore, we are still carrying out vaccinations as usual in accordance with previous government policies," said Head of the Banyumas District Health Office Sadiyanto in Purwokerto, Banyumas, Monday, April 25.

His party immediately made adjustments if the central government issued a new policy related to the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination.

Asked about the achievement of vaccination in Banyumas, he said that based on data from the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPC-PEN), the cumulative vaccination coverage for the first dose as of April 24, 2022, reached 1.337.816 people or 95.67 percent of the 1.398.427 targets.

The second dose was 1.202.597 people or 86 percent of the target, while the coverage of the third or booster vaccine was 280.000 people or 20.02 percent of the target.

He admitted that the achievement of the third dose of vaccination in April experienced a significant increase from the previous month which was recorded at around 10 percent based on real or manual data.

"Based on real data, the third dose of vaccine has reached 24.6 percent (KPC-PEN data is 20.02 percent, ed.) or there is an increase of around 14 percent from the January-March period," he said, quoted by Antara.

He said the spike in the achievement of the third dose of vaccination was not solely due to the mandatory policy of booster vaccines for people who were going home for Eid 2022.

According to him, the spike was also due to the policy to provide a third dose of vaccination to beneficiaries of direct cash assistance (BLT).

"BLT recipients who have undergone screening and are deemed worthy of receiving the booster vaccine will be vaccinated immediately. Yesterday, in one day, the booster vaccine recipients reached more than 28.000 people," said Sadiyanto.

The Supreme Court has granted a judicial review of Presidential Regulation Number 99 of 2020 in Article 2 paragraph 1 concerning the Procurement of Vaccines and Vaccinations in the Context of Overcoming the COVID-19 Pandemic.

As stated in the ruling Number 31 P/HUM/2022, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia stated that Article 2 of Presidential Regulation Number 99 of 2020 concerning the Procurement of Vaccines and Vaccinations in the Context of Combating the COVID-19 Pandemic is contrary to higher laws and regulations, namely the provisions of Article 4 of the Law. -Law Number 33 of 2014 concerning Guarantee of Halal Products.

"The government (Minister of Health, Committee for Handling Corona Virus Disease 2019/COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery, and Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency), is obliged to provide protection and guarantees regarding the halalness of the type of COVID-19 Vaccine specified for the implementation of the COVID-19 Vaccination. in the territory of Indonesia," reads a copy of the Supreme Court's decision.

In addition, the Supreme Court stated that Article 2 of the Presidential Regulation has no binding legal force as long as it is not interpreted: "The government (Minister of Health, Committee for Handling Corona Virus Disease 2019/COVID-19, National Economic Recovery, and Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency), must provide protection and guarantee regarding the halalness of the type of COVID-19 Vaccine that is stipulated for the implementation of the COVID-19 Vaccination in the territory of Indonesia".

In a copy of the Supreme Court's decision, it is also written "That the government in carrying out the COVID-19 vaccination program in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia, cannot immediately impose its will on citizens to be vaccinated for any reason and without conditions, except for protection and guarantees for the halal species." the prescribed COVOD-19 vaccine, especially against Muslims".