The president highlighted this matter during his introduction at the limited meeting to discuss the procurement and implementation plan for Vaccinations at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Monday.
"In connection with the implementation of vaccination, I call for the timeline to be completed immediately by paying attention to the availability of infrastructure and supporting infrastructure, distribution channels, and the interval for administering vaccines to be used per region. I seek the details," the head of state noted in Jakarta on Monday.
The head of state urged his ranks to immediately formulate a vaccination plan per region and map out individuals to be vaccinated, including those to be offered free of cost and those having to pay for it.
"Everything must be planned and prepared in detail," the president emphasized.
The head of state also called for training and simulations, both by health workers and security personnel or volunteers, who would later be involved in administering vaccinations.
The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) earlier commended the government’s efforts to secure COVID-19 vaccine supplies and demanded that the availability of safe and effective vaccines for the planned immunization program be ensured.
In its letter to the Health Ministry, accessed by ANTARA here on Thursday, IDI’s central executive board praised the government for prioritizing the vaccination program for medical workers.
However, IDI Chairman Daeng M. Faqih, who signed the letter, drew attention to the significance of ensuring that the safety, effectiveness, and immunogenicity of the COVID-19 vaccines be established before inoculating Indonesians.
President Joko Widodo has given instructions to not conduct the vaccination program in a hurry, he noted, adding that the required vaccines could evidently be vetted through the published results of their Phase 3 clinical trials.
Faqih further cited the examples of other countries that had also exercised caution over COVID-19 immunizations by awaiting more published data on the results of Phase 3 clinical trials.
The trials for China's Sinovac vaccine, for instance, would have been conducted on nine thousand volunteers in Brazil, but the results would have been published soon after 15 thousand volunteers had been vaccinated, he pointed out.
This reality shows that apart from its significance in fighting the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the vaccination program must not be conducted hurriedly, he stated.
Over the span of the past few months, the Indonesian government has striven to ensure adequate supply of vaccines for the entire nation. Related news: For herd immunity, need to vaccinate 180 mln Indonesians: minister
Related news: Indonesia charts vaccine procurement for short, mid, long term
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Rangga P, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
