VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A student answers screening questions before vaccination in Palu, Central Sulawesi. ANTARA/Basri Marzuki - 

The Government of Palu City, Central Sulawesi Province, informed that the city’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has reached 78.43 percent as of December 24, 2021.

“This achievement has surpassed the central government's 70 percent coverage target. Palu government will strive to boost the percentage until the end of this year,” Head of the Surveillance Team of the Palu City Health Office Rochmat Jasin said when contacted here on Saturday.

Jasin noted that the city’s vaccination achievement must be increased to reach 80 percent coverage at least by December 31, 2021.

According to the Health Office data, Palu city is targeting to vaccinate as many as 265,462 residents. As of December 24, 208,215 residents or 78.43 target recipients have been immunized with the first dose.

Meanwhile, the number of residents that have been fully vaccinated has reached 141,511 recipients, or 53.31 percent of the target.

“Especially health workers that have received the third injection are around 2,818 people or 50.37 percent (of the target),” he added.

Even though Palu has reached the central government's target, the city has not achieved herd immunity yet since its vaccination drive has not reached 80 percent coverage, Jasin noted.

To boost immunity against COVID-19, the Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021. President Joko Widodo was the first vaccine recipient under the program.

According to data provided by the Health Ministry, as of December 25, 2021, nearly 156,442,094 citizens had received their first COVID-19 shot, while 110,515,868 had been fully vaccinated against the virus.

The government recently started inoculating children aged 6–11 against COVID-19. The program is targeting 26.5 million children across Indonesia//ANT