Hopefully, the implementation of national vaccinations can continue and we hope all students in Indonesia will jointly support the national vaccinationJakarta (ANTARA) - Chief of the Indonesian National Police General Listyo Sigit Prabowo has urged more students and young citizens to take part in the national vaccination program to help contain the COVID-19 pandemic quickly.
"Thank you to all students who always provide support. We hope you will always be there. Let's carry out this vaccination together, so that herd immunity can be achieved quickly and people can return to normal life," Prabowo said while observing mass vaccinations held by executive boards of university students (BEMs) and the police, here on Wednesday.
Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) on the 2020 Population Census, Indonesia's population is dominated by young people, he noted. Generation Z accounts for 75.49 million, or about 27.94 percent, of the total population, the data shows, he said.
Meanwhile, the millennial generation is the second most dominant generation, accounting for 69.38 million people, or 25.87 percent, of Indonesia's population, he added.
Based on these figures, the role of young people, including students, in helping to accelerate the achievement of herd immunity is very strategic, he said. Therefore, students and young people can play an active role in accelerating the national vaccination program, he added.
Prabowo, Army Commander, Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, and Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin lauded students involved in student organizations and alliances from a number of universities in Jakarta, Bogor Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) areas for their participation in mass vaccinations while still complying with strict health protocols.
"With the involvement of the youth in vaccination activities, we believe that the government's efforts to accelerate herd immunity can be achieved immediately. We are quite optimistic," said Prabowo.
Meanwhile, Marshal Tjahjanto thanked students for being pioneers in implementing national vaccinations. He said he expected such activities to continue to be carried out until the herd immunity target is achieved.
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"Hopefully, the implementation of national vaccinations can continue and we hope all students in Indonesia will jointly support the national vaccination," said the commander.
Earlier, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin had said that vaccinations for those aged above 18 had already started along with those for children under the age of 18.
"So, we want to focus on all students who will become future generations, starting from junior high school, senior high school, and college students," said the minister.
He lauded the support of the students in national vaccination activities and asked them to encourage other students and their families to get vaccinated.
"I am very excited as these students have joined. Hopefully, their enthusiasm for being vaccinated can be conveyed to other students and their respective parents," he said.
Thirty student executive boards from seven alliances collaborated with the police in organizing mass vaccinations targeting 1,566 students on Wednesday.
A total of 1,600 doses of the Sinovac vaccine were allotted for the mass vaccination activity, which was organized by the army and police in collaboration with BEMs and campuses in Jabodetabek.
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Translator: Laily Rahmawaty, Katriana
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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