VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has said that government funding for the free COVID-19 vaccination program will end on December 31, 2023.

"We were asked for it (vaccination cost) to still be borne by the state until the end of the year," he informed after attending a stunting coordination meeting at Jakarta City Hall here on Monday.

However, he said, high-risk community groups and national health insurance BPJS Kesehatan contribution assistance recipients (PBIs) would be exempted from the paid COVID-19 vaccination scheme that will start early next year.

COVID-19 vaccination remains necessary even though Indonesia has entered the endemic phase, which was declared by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on June 21, he added.

The aim is to prevent COVID-19 transmission and prevent severe symptoms upon infection so that infected people do not need to undergo intensive treatment in a hospital.

"This is the same as meningitis (vaccination): for routine (vaccination), it still needs to be given. To whom? To people with high risk," he said.

The minister assured that COVID-19 vaccination will be provided free to all Indonesians until December 31, 2023.

Director general for disease prevention and control at the ministry, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, said that the new regulation on free vaccination starting January 1, 2024, will only target high-risk groups and BPJS Kesehatan PBIs.

The high-risk groups include older adults with comorbidities, young adults with comorbidities, especially those who are obese, and people who have immune disorders, such as people with HIV.

"We are formulating the regulation, namely a health minister regulation regarding the new presidential regulation on the endemic phase. It is targeted to be applied starting from January 1, 2024," Rondonuwu informed. (Antaranews)