We hope to vaccinate 200 thousand people per day in West Java, because this is the province with the highest population in Indonesia
Bandung, W Java (ANTARA) - Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin has said the Indonesian government is aiming to ramp up vaccinations in West Java to cover 200 thousand people per day in order to build herd immunity quickly.

"We hope to vaccinate 200 thousand people per day in West Java, because this is the province with the highest population in Indonesia," the minister said while observing vaccination drive in Sport Jabar Arcamanik in Bandung, West Java on Thursday.

He said he hoped to see 33 million people vaccinated as soon as possible in West Java to catch up the vaccination percentage in other provinces.

"Compared to Central Java and East Java, we need to catch up (the vaccination percentage). Insya Allah (God willing) with the availability of (vaccination) centres such as this one, we can reach (the target of) 200 thousand (vaccinations per day)," he remarked.

During his visit to Bandung, Sadikin was accompanied by Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, and Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Ganip Warsito.

The vaccination drive, held from July 8 to July 9, 2021, has targeted about 4,500 citizens who have received their first COVID-19 dose, officials said.

A total of 4,500 doses of Sinovac have been allotted by the West Java government and around 235 vaccinators deployed for the drive.

Police Chief Prabowo on Thursday invited all citizens, civilian organizations, and academic staff in universities to collaborate with TNI and police to help speed up the vaccination process.

"We hope that by the end of July or August (2021), our daily vaccination rate can increase from 1 million to 2 million doses, and keep increasing so that the herd immunity can be achieved immediately," he remarked.

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Translator: Bagus Rizaldi, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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