Over 500,000 Medical Personnel Receive COVID-19 Vaccine

Until Monday (01/02), more than 500,000 medical personnel have received COVID-19 vaccine, Government Spokesperson for COVID-19 Vaccination Siti Nadia Tarmidzi said.

“We have successfully vaccinated more than 500,000 medical personnel in Indonesia. This figure shows the extraordinary enthusiasm of health workers to support the vaccination program which also shows their optimism about the safety and benefits of vaccines in providing protection against COVID-19,” Nadia said in a press conference on the arrival of the fourth batch of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine,  at Soekarno Hatta Airport, Banten, Tuesday (02/02).

A total of 10 million doses of raw materials for COVID-19 vaccine and one million additional doses for overfill (an extra volume given by Sinovac to anticipate the production process at Bio Farma) have arrived in Indonesia. The arrival of the semi-finished vaccine is a good news for all Indonesian people because it means that the Government can continuously carry out the vaccination program that is vital to get the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, based on data published on the kemkes.go.id page, until Monday (01/02), the number of medical personnel who have been vaccinated in the first phase is 539,532 people from the target of 1,531,072 people. Of the target, almost all or 1,501,491 people have re-registered.

Nadia expressed her optimism that by the end of February, the Government can hit the vaccination target of around 1.5 million health personnel.

In phase II, she further stated, vaccinations for public service officers with a target of around 17.4 million people will be carried out. “The 10 million doses we received today are planned to be used for the second phase of vaccination for public service officers, providing protection for 17.4 (million) public service officers who also work in areas exposed to COVID-19,” she added.

The vaccination program is an effort to create herd immunity. The Government aims to vaccinate 181.5 million people to achieve it.

It is expected that after the herd immunity is achieved, people who cannot receive the COVID-19 vaccine due to their limited health conditions can also be protected.

“Vaccination is very important and has benefits that far outweigh the risks. Based on a report from the National Commission, the Post Immunization Follow-up Events (KIPI) to date shows that all reactions are mild and nothing serious,” she added.

In line with the implementation of the vaccination program, Nadia also reminded the public to remain strictly disciplined in implementing the 3M health protocols (wearing masks, maintaining distance and avoiding crowds, washing hands) and limiting mobility.

“We continue to urge the public to remain disciplined in implementing health protocols, both for those who have been vaccinated and those who have not,” she said. (TGH/UN) (FI/MMB)