Responding to a question regarding the focus of the Indonesian government in handling COVID-19, spokesperson for the task force, Professor Wiku Adisasmito, said that at the moment, Indonesia is making serious efforts to procure vaccines for its considerably large population.
"All countries in the world are in a race to get vaccines, including Indonesia, and we are trying to get the access because we have a big population and we want to make sure that the vaccines that are being developed in the various parts of the world are accessible for the Indonesian public," he said at an online press conference with international media representatives, broadcast from Jakarta on Friday.
For that reason, the Indonesian government is actively approaching several countries for vaccine deals, he added.
Indonesia has already entered into collaborations with China’s Sinovac and the UAE's G42 for COVID-19 vaccines.
However, Wiku emphasized that the government's serious efforts to procure vaccines for the public do not mean that it is turning away from the implementation of public health measures, as it is aware of the fact that vaccines are not necessarily the answer to the pandemic.
"We understand that preventive measures are the best approach to really deal with the virus, therefore, public health approaches have been implemented in Indonesia," he said, adding that one of the main health programs launched by the government for this purpose is the 'Behaviour Change' campaign.
"We want to make sure that in the months before we get the vaccines, behaviour change can prevent the public from being infected by the virus," he continued.
Aside from educational campaigns and strict health protocols, Wiku also highlighted monitoring measures applied in the country, including how the government is handling testing, tracing, and treatments in every province, district and city, to explain how Indonesia is ensuring attention is accorded to public health measures.
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Reporter: Aria Cindyara
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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