Minister Of Health Predicts The Continued Wave Of COVID-19 In Indonesia To Happen In 6 Months

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin/PHOTO: YouTube screenshot of the Presidential Secretariat)

JAKARTA - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin predicts that the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia will increase again. The next wave of cases, said Budi, is predicted to occur in the next 6 months.

Currently, cases in Indonesia are indeed more controlled than a number of countries such as America, Japan, and Europe, which are experiencing an increase in cases due to COVID-19, the Omicron variant, BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

However, this condition does not mean that Indonesia will be free from the threat of a spike in cases in the future.

"Now the exam is 6 months away. So for this wave, Indonesia is indeed one of the few countries in the world that has successfully surpassed the BA.4 BA.5 wave very well. But now the exam is 6 months away Around January, February and March 2023," said Minister of Health Budi after a limited PPKM meeting at the Presidential Palace, Tuesday, August 23.

The Minister of Health explained that the case factor in Indonesia was more controlled than other countries. Currently, the average community antibody against the corona virus is at the level of 98.5 percent. This figure has increased from 88 percent in December 2021. Then, the antibody level of the Indonesian people is currently more than 2,000 units per milliliter.

This is due to immunity due to the Omicron wave that hit Indonesia in February and March 2022. Immunity is augmented by a combination of vigorous vaccination achievements in November and December 2021, through January 2022.

"It is proven that the Indonesian population is very protected from the antibody level. That's why for the case of the BA.4 BA.5 wave in Japan, Europe, America, there is a very high increase in confirmed cases, we don't. Because the level of immunity of the Indonesian people is already high. very high," said Minister of Health Budi.

However, the level of immunity to the virus will inevitably decrease over time. Therefore, in the face of the threat of the next wave of cases occurring at the beginning of next year, the government has a number of anticipatory steps.

"We must maintain the immunity level of the community as high as it is now. We discussed earlier, and under the direction of the President, at the end of the year we plan to carry out vaccinations, especially directed at groups with low immunity," explained the Minister of Health.

In addition, the government will start exploring pediatric vaccinations for children under 6 years old. Then, the intensification of vaccination in groups of elderly, comorbid, and people whose immunity levels have decreased or have been more than 6 months.

"Because we already know by name by address, later we will immediately provide an alternative vaccine in order to increase the level of immunity to maintain the level of immunity of the Indonesian population to deal with it, get ready at the beginning of next year, if for example there is a new variant," he added.