VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta. Officers and members of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) were administered the British-manufactured COVID-19 vaccine, AstraZeneca, here, Wednesday, in the presence of Vice President Ma'ruf Amin and Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

The AstraZeneca vaccine administered to the MUI ulemas demonstrated that the vaccine was safe to use, the vice president remarked at the Central MUI Office here on Wednesday.

Amid a health emergency, administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to the public must be based on the principles of feasibility and safety, so that this country can put an immediate stop to the pandemic.

Furthermore, Amin also highlighted that vaccination amid a pandemic is an obligation, or fardhu kifayah, according to the Islamic law. Hence, people declining to get inoculated against COVID-19 to develop herd immunity in Indonesia are categorized as sinners.

"The council argued that vaccination has become an obligation, fardhu kifayah. This is since herd immunity can only be achieved if 70 percent, or 182 million people, have been vaccinated. Hence, the law for vaccination (COVID-19) is mandatory until (herd immunity) is achieved," he stated.

Indonesia received 1.1 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in early March and has received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM). (Antaranews)