Indonesia Revokes Self-Paid Covid-19 Jab Policy

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Indonesian government has officially revoked its self-paid Covid-19 vaccination program following the issuance of Health Ministerial Regulation No. 23/2021, which was signed on July 28, 2021.

The addendum is the third amendment to Health Ministerial Regulation No. 10/2021 on the Implementation of Vaccination in Combating the Covid-19 Pandemic. It is also an amendment to the Health Ministerial Regulation No. 19/2021 mentioning policies on self-paid vaccination through the Mutual Cooperation Vaccination scheme.

The addendum obliges free of charge Covid-19 jabs to all citizens through the government-led vaccination program and the Mutual Cooperation Vaccination scheme under the private sector. The latter will only provide vaccines from China’s Sinopharm to inoculate 7.5 million people aged 18 years above.

Also read: Indonesia Plans to Begin Covid-19 Booster Shots for Public Next Year

Meanwhile, the government will administer vaccines from Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, Sinopharm, and Novavax to more than 200 million people aged 12 years above.
It was previously reported that President Joko Widodo has canceled the self-paid policy which was initially carried out by the Indonesian state-owned pharmaceutical firm PT Kimia Farma Tbk.

The mechanism of the Mutual Cooperation vaccination scheme is done by private companies who will also bear the cost of the vaccines.

Previously, a group of various civil societies issued a subpoena demanding Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin to revoke the aforementioned Health Ministerial Regulation No. 19/2021. According to them, a vaccine plays a role in saving human lives during the pandemic.

However, the availability of vaccines is currently still limited. “It is unethical if the government issues a policy of making individuals pay for their vaccines,” a statement from the group said.

(Writer: Haryanti Puspa Sari | Editor: Icha Rastika, Dani Prabowo)

Sources: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/08/09/10293901/menkes-resmi-cabut-aturan-vaksinasi-covid-19-berbayar-untuk-individu?page=1.

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/07/30/15112531/menkes-disomasi-akibat-ketentuan-vaksin-berbayar-dalam-permenkes-19-2021.