“This could actually create a domino effect that is expected to accelerate vaccination coverage in order to achieve herd immunity, so we can get out of this long pandemic,” said Djafri, who is also chairman of the Association of Epidemiologists for West Sumatra province, here on Wednesday.
Even with the involvement of the private sector in the independent vaccination program, the control would remain with the Indonesian government, he said.
Ensuring that independent vaccines are not completely out of government control would deter the vaccine mafia and use of fake vaccines that the public is worried about in future, he explained.
He said the main challenge to independent vaccinations is different perceptions in the society, starting from the assumption that paid vaccines are much better than free vaccines, and vice versa.
Next, the assumption that independent vaccines seem to prioritize economic benefits over public health emergencies also needs to be a concern, he said. There is also an assumption that public confidence in vaccines will decrease when self-paid vaccines are provided, he added.
Actually, what the public needs to understand is that independent vaccinations are part of efforts to increase and accelerate the coverage of COVID-19 vaccinations in the country, he stressed.
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Meanwhile, the next challenge to independent vaccinations pertains to the availability and distribution of vaccines, as limited availability and allocation of vaccines will hinder distribution, Djafri noted.
"Independent vaccinations should be able to involve the private sector in the distribution of the cold chain network and provision of vaccines proportionally to reach areas with limited storage capacity," he added.
At present, the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine has been confirmed and it has also obtained a halal guarantee, he noted. The key to the success of the vaccine program in future will be increasing public participation so that the expected group immunity can be realized as soon as possible, he added.
Djafri said he expects the vaccination program to be effective in building herd immunity, which will have an impact on increasing social and economic productivity in future.
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Translator: Katriana
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
