VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 3 - Nearly 8,300 companies, under the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), registered to partake in vaccination in mutual cooperation or independent vaccination by companies offered to employees at no cost.

"Last time, 8,300 (companies) had registered. For the time being, we stop the registration and evaluate this with the government," Kadin's Deputy Chairman for International Relations, Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, stated here on Wednesday.

The number of companies has increased, from 6,689 last week registered to conduct independent vaccination.

Kamdani confirmed that the independent vaccination conducted by those companies will focus on 6.9 million employees and their families.

The vaccination in mutual cooperation is stipulated in article 7 of Health Ministerial Regulation No. 10 of 2021 on vaccination to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The type of COVID-19 vaccine administered during the inoculation must be different from those offered in the government's vaccination program to ensure unhindered national vaccine distribution.

Moreover, the government's health facility and its medical workers should not be involved so as to not disrupt the national vaccination program.

Kamdani spoke of Kadin having deliberated with the government and state-run vaccine producer PT Biofarma over conducting vaccination in mutual cooperation.

The private sector will be prepared to implement independent vaccination though it would wait for supply of the vaccine imported by Biofarma, according to Kadin's deputy chairman for international relations.

The implementation of vaccinations in mutual cooperation by companies is part of the endeavors to accelerate the implementation of immunization for over 181 million Indonesians to be completed in 12 months, from its earlier targeted 15 months. (Antaranews)