VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The COVID-19 Handling Task Force has urged people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 without delay to suppress virus mutation.

“If we are vaccinated, the virus will not be able to secure a place to breed in our bodies," clinical microbiology specialist and member of the Health Handling Division and the expert panel of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Budiman Bela, said during a talk, which was accessed online from here on Thursday.

The virus would mutate more quickly in conditions where it is given the opportunity to replicate properly, he explained. One of the causes for virus replication is a poor immune condition, he said.

“For that reason, I urge those who have not been vaccinated to get vaccinated promptly,” he said.

He affirmed that the government will continue to intensify vaccinations according to the targets set by epidemiologists.

"I urge the public not to be picky about the vaccines (that will be administered)," he said.

According to data from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as many as 97,318,649 Indonesians have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Thursday.

Meanwhile, the number of first dose recipients has reached 140,885,229.

Besides vaccinations, strict implementation of the health protocols is also essential to prevent virus transmission and to slow down viral replication, Bela said.

The strict implementation of the 3M health protocols (mask-wearing, hand-washing, and social distancing) would certainly make it harder for the virus to get a chance to infect new people, he explained. That way, the emergence of COVID-19 virus mutations can be suppressed, he added.

He lauded the Indonesian people for demonstrating a high level of compliance with the health protocols. However, some people have not been following the protocols properly, he added.

"So, in principle, I think we still have to carry out and follow what the government has set,” he remarked.  (Antaranews)