Gov’t to Commence COVID-19 Vaccination for Elderly

Minister of Health Gunadi Sadikin. (Photo by: Presidential Secretariat Press/ Muchlis Jr)

The Indonesian Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for use on the elderly.

Following this issuance, Ministry of Health will commence COVID-19 vaccination for medical workers aged 60 years and above.

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that the issuance was based on clinical trial results in three foreign countries.

“The Government must prioritize senior medical workers because they must face double risks, due to their profession and age,” he said during a virtual press conference, Sunday (7/2).

The first vaccination for medical workers aged 60 and above will commence on Monday (8/2) at 9 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB). There are currently 11,600 senior medical workers throughout the country to receive the first jab.

The vaccination is aimed at protecting all medical workers regardless their age.

As for the procedure, those aged 60 and above will receive two doses of vaccine in 28 days interval. The first dose serves as the priming dose. Inactivated virus is injected into the body, triggering the body’s reaction to produce new antibody. The second dose of the vaccine will serve as a booster for the existing antibody.

At the same time, the Government will also roll out vaccine to senior citizens besides medical workers. For the record, 10 percent of Indonesian population are elderly and more than 50 percent of COVID-19 death occurred in patients aged 60 and above.

It is expected that vaccination for senior citizens can push COVID-19 mortality rate down and lower occupancy rate of hospital bed. (MINISTER OF HEALTH PR/UN) (RAS/MMB)