Booster Vaccine So Mobility Requirements Should Be Done By The Government

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JAKARTA - The government's policy of making booster vaccines as a condition for mobility and entering public facilities such as malls is believed to be effective in preventing the transmission of COVID-19.

"This is because based on evidence, when someone gets a booster, the body's immune system related to COVID-19 infection increases by 90 percent," said Chairman of the DPP for Health of the NasDem Party, Okky Asokawati, Wednesday, July 6, quoted from Antara.

According to Okky, the policy, which is planned to be implemented in two weeks, will also encourage the formation of community immunity or herd immunity and prevent virus mutations.

"When it is not done (the provision of the COVID-19 vaccine) and there are still citizens who have not even been vaccinated, mutations can occur," he said.

Okky, who once served as a member of the DPR, also asked the government to reactivate vaccination centers in order to accelerate the coverage of the third dose of vaccination in Indonesia.

Previously, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that the implementation of the third dose vaccine policy as a condition for mobility and access to public facilities starting in the next two weeks was motivated by the low coverage of the third vaccination.

Then, to encourage this third dose of vaccination, the government plans to reactivate vaccination centers in various places such as airports, train stations, terminals and shopping centers. This is to make it easier for the public to access vaccinations.

Professor of FKUI Prof Tjandra Yoga Aditama added, in addition to the third dose of vaccination, the government must also increase tracking or testing to prevent an increase in cases and the potential for new virus variants to form.

"If cases continue to increase, the potential for the formation of new variants will be greater, not to mention the health impact on high-risk groups, and also disruption of activity if someone has to be isolated," he said.

Prof. Tjandra quoted data from the Ministry of Health on July 5 and noted that the coverage of the third dose of vaccination in Indonesia was around 24.58 percent. According to him, this means that 75 percent of the people in the country have not received the much-needed booster vaccination.