On Another Arrival of Vaccine Bulk, Minister: Let’s Succeed Vaccination Drive

By : Nata Kesuma | Thursday, May 27 2021 - 22:45 IWST

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto delivers a press statement on the arrival of vaccine at Soekarno-Hatta airport, Tangerang, Tuesday (25/5). (Photo: Screenshot of Presidential Secretariat YouTube account)

INDUSTRY.co.id - The Government is always committed to ensuring the safety, quality and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine used in the country to avoid public doubts about vaccination safety and resistance against vaccination drive, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto has said.

“Vaccines provided in Indonesia have gone through an evaluation process by the Indonesian Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) which has received consideration from experts from the Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ITAGI) and the World Health Organization (WHO),” said Airlangga when welcoming the arrival of eight million doses of bulk vaccine from China’s Sinovac at Soekarno-Hatta airport, Tangerang, Tuesday (25/5).

Airlangga said that vaccination is one of the crucial steps to end the pandemic as mentioned by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

“President Jokowi said that the COVID-19 vaccination is a game changer, one of the crucial steps to end the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

For this reason, the Government will speed up the implementation of vaccination drive in accordance with regional or geospatial aspects based on the zoning system and economic activity.

For the record, the Government aims to vaccinate 70 percent of Indonesia’s population or 181.5 million people to achieve herd immunity.

“To date, the vaccination realization is 24.9 million, with 1.5 million health workers having received the first dose and 1.4 million people for the second dose; 3.1 million elderly having received the first dose and 2.1 million people for the second dose; and 10.4 million public officials having received the first dose and 6.5 million for the second dose,” Airlangga said.

Regarding the Gotong Royong Vaccination rolled out on 18 May, Airlangga expressed hope that its implementation can be accelerated and the target can be increased.

The vaccination drive is slated to be carried out in 27 companies and in 18 health facilities in capital Jakarta, West Java, Banten, Riau Islands and Maluku provinces. To date, as many as 21,616 Gotong Royong Vaccines using the Sinopharm Vaccine have been distributed.