Indonesia to Administer A Million Vaccine Doses A Day in July

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo aims to speed up the mass vaccination program in Indonesia by administering a million vaccine doses a day starting from July. 

“We have been administering half a million vaccine doses a day. In July this year, we must achieve a million doses per day,” Jokowi said during his visit to the vaccination center at the Bung Karno Gelora Complex Senayan, Jakarta on Wednesday, June 16. 

By accelerating the vaccination program throughout the country, Jokowi hoped that herd immunity will soon be formed. Thus, the rate of Covid-19 transmission can be reduced.

Also read: Local Transmission of Indian Covid-19 Variant Found in Greater Jakarta Area

"We hope this (vaccination) can also be carried out for other sectors so that we can slow down the spread of the Covid-19 in the shortest possible time," he said during the vaccination program provided for the people in the financial services sector. 

The third phase of mass vaccination involved 10,000 peoples in the financial services sector. The program is targeting to inoculate as many as 100,000 people from this sector next week. 

"I hope that other regions can increase the number of the Covid-19 jabs so that the speed of vaccination in the financial services sector will soon reach herd immunity, at least in August," he said.

The Covid-19 vaccination program in Jakarta has entered its third phase since May this year. This stage of vaccination targets vulnerable groups in the red zones (high risk of coronavirus transmission).

Recently, the President instructed Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and other officials to inoculate 7.5 million residents by August.

New variants

Separately, the head of Jakarta Health Agency Widyastuti said on Monday that three new Covid variants have been detected in Jakarta. 

"Three variants comprising Alfa, Beta, and Delta have been found in Jakarta," said Widyastuti.

Last April, the Jakarta Health Agency recorded that two cases of the Delta B.1.617.2 variant which was first discovered in India, were confirmed in the capital city. 

Also read: Indonesias Health Minister Urges Vigilance Against Local Transmission of UK Covid-19 Variant

The new variant was found in Indonesian citizens with a local transmission on April 3. While the second case was affected a foreign citizen from India on April 28.

A month later, the number of new variant cases in Jakarta has increased to 19, comprising the Alfa variant from England, Beta from South Africa, and Delta from India. Of the 19 cases, 18 of them are people who have traveled abroad.

According to Widyastuti, the new variant is more dangerous and more contagious, but all variants found in Jakarta can still be anticipated with vaccines.

(Writers: Fitria Chusna Farisa, Singgih Wiryono| Editors: Krisiandi, Sandro Gatra)

Sources: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/06/16/09355511/jokowi-targetkan-vaksinasi-covid-19-capai-1-juta-suntikan-per-hari-mulai.

https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2021/06/16/08423471/waspada-varian-baru-covid-19-di-jakarta-lebih-berbahaya-dan-lebih-menular?page=all#page2.