President Orders Regional Governments to Use All Vaccine Supply for First Jab Injections

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin delivers press statement through video conference after joining a limited meeting, Friday (16/7)

In a bid to speed up implementation of national COVID-19 program to achieve herd immunity, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo called on regional heads to immediately inject COVID-19 vaccine supply rolled out by the Government to their respective regions.

The statement was made by Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin in his press statement through video conference after joining a limited meeting, Friday (16/7).

“The President gave instruction to regional governments, the TNI (Indonesian National Defense Forces), and Polri (Indonesian National Police) to immediately use 19 million doses of vaccine supply which have been rolled out throughout the country,” he said.

Budi added that the instruction is particularly addressed to regions that are keeping the vaccine supply to be used for the second jab.

“The President instructed to speed up the vaccination. He understand that in some regions, the supply have been held in reserve for the second jab. Nevertheless, he ordered them to use the supply since there will be more new supply to be rolled out,” he explained.

As of Friday (16/7), 75 million doses of vaccine have been rolled out throughout the country in which 56 million doses have been injected to the public consisting of 40 million doses for the first jab and 16 doses for the second jab. Thus, the remaining doses are 19 million.

On that occasion, the Minister affirmed the Government’s commitment to secure vaccine supply to speed up the national vaccination program. Vaccine bulk obtained by the Government will be produced into 30 million doses of ready-to-use vaccine by August.

“We have received new supply of vaccine bulk and there will be additional 30 million doses by August,” he concluded. (TGH/UN) (RAS/LW)