Covid-19 Jab Drive: Indonesia is Vaccinating People Aged 60 and Above

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Indonesia’s government began to vaccinate the elderly population nationwide starting Monday, February 8. The country has already begun vaccinating elderly health care workers. 

The government’s decision to authorize Covid-19 vaccines for the elderly came after the Food and Drug Agency or BPOM issued the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to use Chinese-made vaccine Coronavac for people aged 60 and above, after a series of tests in China and Brazil showed promising results.

The Ministry of Health recorded that 10 percent of Indonesia's 1,166,079 Covid-19 cases consisted of the elderly. They also made up 47.3 percent of Indonesia’s 31,763 deaths from the pandemic.

The senior citizens will receive their second dose of vaccination 28 days after the first dose. The vaccine can be useful as a booster or strengthen the antibodies. 

SETPRES-KRIS Presiden Joko Widodo (left) and Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin (middle) survey the mass vaccination of health workers with Sinovac's Coronavac vaccine at Jakarta's Istora Senayan Stadium on Thursday, February 4.

KOMPAS.COM/GHINAN SALMAN A number of elderly health workers in Surabaya began receiving the Covid-19 vaccine, Monday, February 8.

ANTARA/HUMAS RSUP SANGLAH Health workers at Sanglah Hospital underwent a COVID-19 vaccination on Monday, February 8.

(Writers: Irfan Kamil, Dian Erika Nugraheny | Editor: Diamanty Meiliana)

Sources:https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/02/08/05502811/kabar-baik-warga-lansia-divaksin-covid-19-mulai-hari-ini

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/02/08/06170111/menkes-secara-paralel-pemerintah-segera-lakukan-vaksinasi-covid-19-untuk