VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - The Ministry of Health is working with several expert teams to formulate schemes for COVID-19 vaccination and patient treatment that will be applied after the COVID-19 health emergency status is officially revoked later.

"Regarding COVID-19 vaccination, it is still being discussed with expert teams, including determining the actual price if the vaccine has to be paid for," the ministry's Head of Communication and Public Service Bureau Siti Nadia Tarmizi said here, Friday.

The expert teams involved are epidemiologists, the Indonesia Technical Advisory Group (ITAGI), and teams from the ministry's Directorate of Immunization and Directorate of Surveillance.

Tarmizi noted that after the revocation of the emergency status, COVID-19 vaccination will be integrated into the government's routine immunization program.

"Because this vaccination targets adults, maybe it will be like meningitis vaccination or other adult vaccinations," she explained.

She further noted that if a paid vaccination scheme is implemented, then the relevant authority must ensure the availability of vaccines at all service provider health facilities.

"Maybe not all community health centers (puskesmas) provide vaccines like this, but everything is still being discussed," she said.

As for the self-isolation scheme, the cost will be borne by all individuals, including the telemedicine service.

Earlier, President Joko Widodo had decided that Indonesia will soon enter the COVID-19 endemic stage by taking into account the declining daily cases and active cases of COVID-19 and the wide coverage of COVID-19 vaccination.

"We have decided to enter the endemic (phase), but regarding when it will be announced, (it is) being finalized, (and it may be) in one week, two weeks," he said after opening the 2023 National Working Meeting on Government Internal Supervision in Jakarta on Wednesday (June 14).

The first case of COVID-19 in Indonesia was confirmed in March 2020. According to data from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of June 15, 2023, the nation has recorded a total of 6,810,778 COVID-19 cases, 6,638,968 recoveries, and 161,836 deaths. (antaranews)