VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 17 - Based on information passed on from the Health Ministry's Secretary General Oscar Primadi to Youth and Sports Ministry's Secretary Gatot S. Dewa Broto, priority athletes will be administered vaccine shots this week.

"Yesterday morning, we received a call from Mr Oscar, the secretary general of the Ministry of Health. God willing, this week, the Ministry of Health is ready to vaccinate the athletes proposed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. It is ready this week," Broto stated here on Tuesday.

Athletes of 17 sports disciplines -- badminton, weightlifting, archery, swimming, pencak silat, tennis, karate, taekwondo, judo, wushu, volleyball, shooting, gymnastics, chess, rowing, bowling, and surfing -- are categorized as priority recipients of the COVID-19 vaccines.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has proposed 1,500 names, including of athletes, coaches, and officials from those 17 sports disciplines as well as the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) to be accorded priority for the COVID-19 vaccination from the government.

However, Broto pointed out that the vaccination process will not be held simultaneously in a bid to avoid crowds. Vaccines will be administered in stages and can be conducted in their respective domiciles akin to the protocol followed for health workers.

For Jakarta, the Ministry of Youth and Sports is preparing the Cibubur National Sports Hospital (RSON) as a venue for vaccination and also at the national training centers for each sports branch.

In terms of the technicalities, the Youth and Sports Ministry will hold a meeting with the Ministry of Health on Wednesday. Members of the board of the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) are also invited to the meeting as badminton athletes will be candidates for the first phase of the vaccination program. (Antaranews)