Indonesia Starts to Contact Prioritized Groups for Covid-19 Vaccine via SMS

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia’s Health Ministry will be contacting each citizen of the targeted groups for Covid-19 vaccination via a short message service (SMS) starting from Thursday following a decree issued by the newly-appointed Health Minister.

Budi Gunadi Sadikin has signed the decree on the target of the Covid-19 vaccine implementation on December 28, Kontan.co.id reported on December 31.

“Prior to the Covid-19 vaccination, a notification via short message service (SMS) will be sent first [to the targeted people] on December 31, 2020,” the decree stated.

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The decree explained that the vaccination will prioritize targeted groups that in line with the regulations.

People who receive the notification via SMS are required to undergo the Covid-19 vaccination, it added.

Criteria for Covid-19 vaccine recipients

Meanwhile, the previous Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto has also signed a regulation on December 14 regarding the prioritized groups to be vaccinated.

One of the articles stated that the criteria will be based on the study of the Indonesian Technical Advisory Group in Immunization or the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization of the World Health Organization (SAGE WHO).

Besides, it also stated that the priority for the first vaccine recipients were healthcare workers, assistant healthcare workers, support personnel at health facilities, the Indonesian military, police, law enforcement officers, and other public servants.