VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa has called for the acceleration of vaccinations of the elderly given the small number of districts that have completed vaccinations for the group.

"There are still few elderly people who have been vaccinated. Therefore, it (vaccinations) must be encouraged and pushed for," she said during a visit to Al Falah Middle School in Sidoarjo on Saturday.

The alumni association of Airlangga University is hosting vaccinations in several East Java districts and cities, such as Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Gresik, Lamongan, and Mojokerto, so that they can meet the Home Affairs Ministry's criteria for Level 1 community activity restriction, Parawansa noted.

She said that the achievement of herd immunity will rely on contributions from various stakeholders in pushing up the vaccination rate.

"We also thank Al Falah Middle School for providing a place as a vaccination location. Because vaccination is not only for students but also for local residents," she remarked.

Meanwhile, head of Sidoarjo district, Ahmad Muhdlor Ali, said that his administration is currently trying to vaccinate 70 percent of the 1.6 million targeted residents.

He revealed that 66 percent of the district's elderly residents have received the first vaccine dose, while 32 percent have received the second dose.

The vaccination organizer for the alumni association of Airlangga University, Dwi Wahyu Indrawati, said that her association is administering around 2,500 vaccine doses at each event.

"We have held about eight (vaccination programs), both for the first and second doses, with 2,500 doses (administered) in each time," she informed.

The vaccination effort is in line with central government's focus on building herd immunity, she said.

Earlier, the central government was targeting to inoculate 70 percent of the population by the end of the year. However, since late September, it has set a new target: it is now aiming to vaccinate 80 percent of the total population in order to achieve herd immunity. (Antaranews)