VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jan. 27 - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has called on medical workers, who had yet to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, to get the shot without further ado.

"This has demonstrated that the first batch of vaccination can be completed fast and to motivate other medical workers in Indonesia to get the vaccine for those, who have yet to receive the first jab," Sadikin noted at the Presidential Palace complex, Jakarta, on Wednesday.

Sadikin received his second shot of Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine along with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and some other public figures at the Merdeka Palace.

"The antibody will be formed one or two weeks after vaccination, and Insya Allah (God willing), they can work more comfortably because medical workers are among those at higher risk (of COVID-19)," he remarked.

Sadikin pointed out that the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia had surpassed one million as of January 26.

The minister has urged the public to continue to adhere to health protocols while the government would concomitantly work towards thwarting the infection by intensifying the tracing, testing, and treatment of the cases of coronavirus infections.

The government has targeted 181.5 million people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and to create herd community against the novel coronavirus.

The government has ordered 329.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd, US-Canada firm Novavax, British AstraZeneca and joint US-Germany pharmaceutical firm Pfizer BioNTech.

In its first stage, medical workers and non-medical workers at health facilities will be accorded priority in the vaccination program. (Antaranews)