Gov’t to Provide Moderna’s Vaccines for Public, Health Workers

The arrival of COVID-19 vaccine produced by the US pharmaceutical firm Moderna, at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Sunday (11/7). (Photo by: Presidential Secretariat Press Bureau/Kris)

The Government has announced it will provide 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the US pharmaceutical firm Moderna that arrived in the country on Sunday (11/7) in the form of ready-to-use vaccines for Indonesian people and all health workers.

“We plan to give the first and second shots containing a dose of Moderna’s vaccines for the people as well as the third shot for health workers as a booster to optimally protect them amid the second wave of the pandemic,” Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in a virtual joint press statement on the arrival of Moderna’s vaccines.

According to him, Moderna’s vaccine has a high level of efficacy rate and has significantly proven in suppressing COVID-19 transmission in the United States. The Minister also expressed hope that the vaccine can provide better protection for all health workers as the frontliners for handling the pandemic.

“The Moderna’s vaccine, which is assistance from the US Government, has indeed technically proven to have high efficacy and high protection. The vaccine will greatly help Indonesian health workers to fight against the second wave of the pandemic,” he said.

On that occasion, the Minister also informed that the vaccination drive in the country has been running quickly and has reached 52 million doses. The Minister of Health expressed hope that the number of doses per day will continuously increase so the national vaccination drive could meet the inoculation target of 181.5 million people.

“Based on the latest data, we have reached 52 million doses. We complete the first ten million doses within eight weeks, the next ten million within four weeks, and the last ten million doses in twelve days. Hopefully, we can continue to increase the number of doses and people in the near future so that the target will be achieved faster,” he explained.

Budi also revealed that several regions such as Bali and Jakarta Provinces have given the first dose of vaccine to more than 50 percent of people in their respective areas. According to him, these achievements can be compared with other developed countries.

“More than 70 percent of residents in Bali have received the first shot. It is likewise for Jakarta, more than 50 percent of residents have received the first shot. I see the number as an achievement that is comparable to many states or provinces or big cities, as well as in developed countries around the world, to be able to execute more than 70 percent or 50 percent of the first shot,” he stated.

On that occasion, the Minister also expressed his gratitude to the US Government for its support to Indonesia in handling the pandemic. The Moderna’s vaccine was given by the US to Indonesia with a dose-sharing scheme through the COVAX Facility multilateral cooperation.

“We appreciate the support from the United States Government and its people to help Indonesia’s vaccination program by sending 4.5 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine in stages to Indonesia. What you have done is not only providing assistance to Indonesia as a nation but also showing respect for humanity,” he added. (FID/UN) (RIF/LW)