When Enthusiastic Residents For Vaccination Increases Ahead Of Eid, Stock Of COVID-19 Vaccine In Palembang Is Not Available

Illustration of COVID-19 vaccination. (Wikimedia Commons/Annalyn Gallego/Province of Camares Sur)

PALEMBANG - The provision of the COVID-19 vaccine in Palembang has temporarily stalled. The reason is, the stock of vaccines available in all health centers has run out.

Head of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases of the Palembang City Health Office (Dinkes) Yudhi Setiawan said the stock of COVID-19 vaccines in this city had expired since February 2023.

"Even though the enthusiasm of the public to carry out vaccines is quite high, especially entering the Eid al-Fitr holiday which wants to go home, because the requirements for traveling between cities are required to carry out the first booster vaccine," he said, as quoted from Antara, Saturday, April 1.

He stated that the Palembang City Health Office needed additional stock of COVID-19 vaccines ahead of Eid al-Fitr 1444 Hijri. His party has submitted a request for an additional 3,000 vials (vaccines) to the South Sumatra Provincial Health Office.

"Based on information from the Health Office of South Sumatra Province, they will offer the Sinovac vaccine, while what the community needs is a PFizer type of COVID-19 vaccine, because it can be used for all types," he said.

He explained that the Sinovac type of COVID-19 vaccine can only be used for boosters for people with the first and second vaccines using the Astra Zeneca and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines.

Based on data compiled by the Palembang City Health Office, the total coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine for the first dose was 1,205,450 people, the second dose was 1,035,983 people, the first booster dose was 352,531 people and the second booster was 15,699 people out of the total target of 1,412,064 people.