VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 17 - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin praised Vice President Ma'ruf Amin for becoming a good example for the country's elderly to receive the COVID-19 vaccine jab.

"Hence, the vice president has set a very good example for the elderly in Indonesia. Hopefully, our seniors in Indonesia would emulate this," Sadikin stated after accompanying Vice President Amin while receiving the first vaccine shot here on Wednesday.

The minister also expressed gratitude since Amin was willing to be injected the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Sinovac, China.

Sadikin believes that vaccinating the elderly can help to achieve the target of developing herd immunity in Indonesia.

"I, as part of the government, would like to once again thank you since this vaccination is not only to protect us but also our families, neighbors, all Indonesian people, and humanity in the world," he affirmed.

Meanwhile, Amin reportedly experienced no side-effects after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine injection.

The vice president also invited other elderly to come forward to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.

Head of the COVID-19 Task Force, Doni Monardo, who accompanied the vice president, stated that vaccinating the elderly was one of the strategic programs in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Monardo pointed out that the elderly are a group vulnerable to being infected with COVID-19 after the group of healthcare workers.

"Hence, giving vaccines to the elderly is offering health protection to the elderly group; and the vice president is one among those of the elderly group aged over 70 years," he stated.

Vice President Amin was administered China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday at around 8:30 a.m. local time.

A recommendation was earlier awaited from the Presidential Medical Team over the COVID-19 vaccine shot for the 77-year-old vice president on account of his health since he had comorbidity.

The Food and Drug Control Administration (BPOM) has issued the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine, Coronavac, to the group of people aged 60 years and above in Indonesia.

The BPOM issued the permit on February 5, with two doses of each injection and each dose administered at an interval of 28 days.

According to BPOM Head Penny Lukito, the emergency use permit is based on the results of monitoring for phase I and II of the clinical trial processes in China for administering vaccine to residents over 60 years of age.

Results of the clinical trial in China involving 400 elderly that were administered the Coronavac vaccine injection indicated an immunity level of up to 97.96 percent following the second injection.

The BPOM also took into account the results of the Phase III clinical trial in Brazil that showed the vaccine shots administered to 609 elderly generally led to mild side-effects: pain, nausea, fever, swelling, skin redness, and headaches. (Antaranews)