Ministry Of Health: 99 Percent Indonesians Have COVID-19 Antibodies

Several employees walked on Jl Jenderal Sudirman, Jakarta in April 2020 (Between-Akbar NG)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) said the results of the latest survey serology showed that 99 percent of Indonesia's total population already had levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that caused COVID-19.

"From the results of the serosurvey as of January 2023, we see that the proportion of the population to the level of immunity from SARS-CoV-2 transmission is still high, at 99 percent of the proportionality of the community," said Head of the Health Development Policy Agency (BKPK) of the Ministry of Health Syarifah Liza Munira, at a press conference at Serosurvei 2023 at the Ministry of Health Building, Jakarta, Friday, February 3, confiscated by Antara.

He said the serosurvey involving epidemiologists from the Faculty of Public Health, University of Indonesia (FKM-UI) was the third time the government had held it since December 2021.

"There is an increase in antibodies for the Indonesian people from 98.5 percent to 99 percent of the population," said Syarifah.

Liza revealed that the national serosurvey was carried out in 34 provinces and 99 districts/cities by examining blood samples and interviews with 16,286 (94 percent) of the same respondents from two previous similar activities.

He said the highest antibody levels were those who had received booster vaccination injections or booster doses. "When viewed, they in a year increase their level of vaccination status by almost three times," he said.

The serosurvey and epidemiologist team from FKM UI Iwan Ariawan said the purpose of the serosurvey was the government's effort to find out the level of protection of the COVID-19 vaccine which was obtained naturally through infections and vaccination programs held by the government.

In the first survey in December 2021, said Iwan, 88 percent of the population already had antibodies to COVID-19. In the second series of July 2022, the number increased to 98 percent. "In January 2023, 99 percent increased again and still received antibodies," he said.