Health Minister: 90 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Administered As of 23 August

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin delivers press statement on public activity restrictions, Monday (23/08). (Source: YouTube of Presidential Secretariat)

The national COVID-19 vaccination drive has hit a milestone, with more than 90 million doses administered as of Monday (23/08), Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin has said.

“To date, Indonesia has administered 90 million doses. We have surpassed 90 million. We rank ninth in the world in term of total doses administered. As for the number of people getting vaccinated, as of today, Indonesia has managed to vaccinate 58 million people with the first dose and we rank sixth in the world for this,” he said in a press statement on public activity restrictions, Monday (23/08).

The Minister pointed out that this August, Indonesia will receive 4.6 million doses of Pfizer vaccine acquired from COVAX Facility multilateral cooperation after receiving the purchased 1.56 million Pfizer vaccine doses on Thursday (19/08).

“This month, we will receive 62.6 million doses (of vaccine). If we compare it, (we received) 90 million doses from January to July, but this August alone we will receive 62.6 million. At the end of the month, we will also receive 4.6 million Pfizer doses, which is the result of free vaccine multilateral cooperation with COVAX,” he said.

According to the Minister, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has ordered for the vaccines to be immediately administered to the people and not to be stored as supplies. “Do immediately jab the people, distribute (the vaccines) to provinces. Provinces are also ordered to immediately send them to regencies/cities,” he said.

Ministry of Health, the Minister added, has launched an official website vaksin.kemkes.go.id that can be accessed publicly to see all vaccine supplies in all regencies/cities and the vaccination rate.

“So, vaccine supplies, as per the President’s directives, should be used as soon as possible. They can be controlled publicly, available on the website vaksin.kemkes.go.id,” he said while underscoring that vaccines are given free for the people.

“Let me reiterate that the vaccines are free. We urge the people to also monitor it so that there will not be any fees paid and to send reports to phone number 021-1500567 or email them to pengaduan.itjen@kemkes.go.id,” he said.

Closing his press statement, the Minister urged the people to immediately get vaccinated with the currently available vaccine.

“With various vaccines available, we urge the people not to be picky about vaccine because all vaccines give the same benefit, which is to create our antibodies,” he remarked. (MAY/UN) (DH/MUR)