The government's free vaccine program will remain in place. The public can have access to it at all vaccination locations.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government has maintained an unwavering stance about rolling out the free COVID-19 vaccination program despite pharmaceutical firms -- Kimia Farma and Biofarma -- offering paid vaccination services.

Paid vaccination service is an alternative to the government's free vaccination program to accelerate vaccination and achieve herd immunity, special staff of the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry Arya Sinulingga noted in a written statement released on Sunday.

"The government's free vaccine program will remain in place. The public can have access to it at all vaccination locations," he remarked.

Paid vaccination is part of the mutual help vaccination drive. Only companies, with legal status, are allowed to implement the vaccination program for their employees, Sinulingga revealed.

The government has permitted to hold the mutual help vaccination drive to expedite the national vaccination program, the ministry’s special staff noted.

"The objective is to accelerate the vaccination program. This way, the public will have many choices," he explained.

Related news: Kimia Farma to serve individually-paid vaccination in eight clinics

Kimia Farma Corporate Secretary Ganti Winarno made assurance that paid vaccine services would not disrupt the government's free vaccination program.

Spokesman for the Biofarma COVID-19 vaccine Bambang Heriyanto stated that the mutual help vaccination drive is an alternative to enable public access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

"The mutual help vaccination drive is open to everybody or any party, provided (the requirements of) health facilities are met," he stated.

Paid vaccination services are available at eight locations of the Kimia Farma clinics: Senen, Pulogadung, and Blok M in Jakarta; Supratman in Bandung; Citarum in Semarang; Sukoharjo in Solo; Sedati in Surabaya; and Batubulan in Bali.

Based on the government's regulation, paid vaccine is priced at Rp321,660 per dose plus a service fee of Rp117,910. Since each individual receives two doses of the vaccine, the complete paid vaccination comes up to Rp879,140 per individual. Related news: Indonesia sets Sinopharm complete vaccination price at Rp879,140



Translator: Sugiharto P, Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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