VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government has obtained more than 3.5 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses under the COVAX facility in two stages on January 3–4, 2022, a Health Ministry official has said.

"The effort to obtain vaccines through the bilateral route has been pursued by the Indonesian government through its Foreign Affairs Ministry since the beginning of the pandemic," vaccination spokesperson at the ministry, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said.

In a press statement issued here on Tuesday, she said that the total donation of 3,566,400 AstraZeneca vaccines was divided into two stages: vaccines under the 188th stage arrived on Monday and those under the 189th stage were scheduled to arrive on Tuesday.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Indonesia has actively conducted international and multilateral cooperation, including through the WHO Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator COVAX Facility.

COVAX, or COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, is a global initiative for realizing equal COVID-19 vaccine access for all citizens of the world.

As part of this effort, Indonesia has received a commitment from COVAX to fulfill half of Indonesia's vaccine needs, Tarmizi informed.

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Indonesia has continued to actively campaign for global vaccine equity, including at COVAX, Tarmizi added.

Collaboration between the nations of the world is very crucial in efforts to handle COVID-19, which has claimed a lot of lives, she said.

"Vaccination is one of the keys to protect ourselves and the nation from the threat of COVID-19," she remarked.

The achievement of herd immunity in Indonesia could bolster the nation's capability to break free from the pandemic that has prevailed for almost two years, she said.

"The vaccination program has been in progress for almost a year and we are now on the right path by continuing to secure vaccine stocks for the needs of the Indonesian people," she added.

According to Tarmizi, every vaccine that arrives in Indonesia is promptly distributed to regions that require vaccine stocks.

So far, Indonesia has exceeded WHO's target for vaccination, she pointed out. Still, there are several regions where vaccinations need to be optimized, she noted.

The central government is encouraging regions with low vaccination coverage or regions that have not reached their target to make extra effort to increase vaccinations, including by edifying and encouraging people who are still hesitant to get vaccinated, Tarmizi said.

"Especially for the elderly, who are included in the vulnerable and high-risk category," she noted.

In January 2022, Indonesia should bolster vaccination efforts for its target population, including the booster shot that will be prioritized for health workers and the elderly, she said.

"Vaccination for children aged 6–11 years that have started since December 2021 will also be increased to protect children," she added. (Antaranews)