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Executive director of the International Pediatric Association (IPA), Prof. Dr. Aman Bhakti Pulungan, SpA(K). (ANTARA/Rizka Khaerunnisa) - 

Executive director of the International Pediatric Association (IPA), Prof. Dr. Aman Bhakti Pulungan, SpA(K), has lauded the Indonesian government's decision to start COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged 6 to 11 years.

The government kicked off COVID-19 vaccinations for children in the 6–11 age group on Tuesday (December 14, 2021). The vaccination program kicked off at three schools in the three provinces of Jakarta, West Java, and Banten.

"I want to say that IPA really appreciates the efforts that the Indonesian government has made. We are one of the countries that have started immunizing children (against COVID-19),” Pulungan said at a virtual press conference on Friday.

It is essential to prioritize vaccinations for children considering that Indonesia is a low-middle income country that has the potential to experience a significant impact if a spike in COVID-19 cases occurs, he added.

In addition, he said that COVID-19 vaccinations could support children's participation in face-to-face learning at schools, which can help recover their mental health after a prolonged period of learning from home.

"The indirect effects of COVID-19 are learning, mental, and emotional disorders," he observed.

Children's vaccinations are also deemed necessary because mitigation efforts are still hard to be implemented at schools, especially in peripheral areas, the IPA executive director noted.

General chairperson of the Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI), Dr. Piprim Basarah Yanuarso, SpA(K), also welcomed the government's decision to start vaccinating children in the 6–11 age group.

He appealed to parents to utilize the chance that the government has provided to get their children immunized against COVID-19.

As part of efforts to build community immunity against COVID-19, the Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021.

On December 14, 2021, the country began vaccinating children in the 6–11 age group after Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin issued Ministerial Decree Number HK.01.07/MENKES/6688/2021 on the Implementation of the COVID-19 Vaccination for Children aged 6–11 years old//ANT