"I ask once again who wants to be vaccinated? I hope everyone would be willing to be vaccinated, and no one will refuse," President Jokowi stated at the Bogor Presidential Palace, Friday
President Jokowi conveyed the statement during the "Provision of Working Capital Assistance (BMK)" to some 30 micro and small entrepreneurs, each of whom received Rp2.4 million.
Initially, when President Jokowi posed the question on whether the attendees were game for vaccination, none raised their hands.
"Someone here who wants to be vaccinated? Is there someone who wants a vaccine? Do you want it or not? What are you afraid of? There are those who do not want to be vaccinated?" the president stated.
The question was responded to with silence and doubtful faces of the recipients of working capital assistance.
"I have already conveyed that I will be the first to be injected with the vaccine. If everyone is vaccinated, it means we are back to normal again," the head of state noted.
The president affirmed that at least 70 percent of Indonesia's population out of a total of some 260 million people should be vaccinated.
Jokowi believes that it will take a long time to vaccinate a population of 182 million people.
The vaccination of 182 million people aims to create communal immunity.
On December 16, 2020, President Jokowi stated that the government had offered vaccines free of charge for all Indonesians, so the people ought to get vaccinated.
A total of 1.2 million doses manufactured by Sinovac, a pharmaceutical company from China, arrived at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang, on Sunday (Dec 6), at around 21:25 WIB, while 1.8 million doses of the vaccine will arrive in early January of 2021.
Six types of vaccines will be administered under the COVID-19 vaccination based on Decree of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia No HK.01.07 / Menkes / 9860/2020 on December 3, 2020.
The six types of vaccines are the COVID-19 vaccine produced by PT Bio Farma (Persero), AstraZeneca, China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation (Sinopharm), Moderna, Pfizer Inc and BioNTech and Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
These six types of vaccines can be administered only after securing a distribution permit or an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM). Related news: President reaffirms readiness to be first COVID-19 vaccine recipient
Related news: President first in line for COVID-19 vaccination attests safety: MP
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Desca L, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
