Cikarang, Bekasi (ANTARA) - As many as 80 thousand junior high schools students from various schools in Bekasi District, West Java Province, will receive vaccines under the pilot vaccination drive for students in the region.

"The number of junior high school students (in Bekasi District) totals 80 thousand. Their parents have already given the consent for vaccinating their children once we are ready to hold the vaccination drive," Bekasi District Education Office Head Carwinda stated in Cikarang, Monday.

Carwinda remarked that the vaccination drive for Bekasi District's students would start with junior high school students, before continue the drive for senior high school students.

Bekasi District's students' vaccination drive will first target students from state schools before continuing to students from private schools.

He noted that nearly 120 thousand students were currently enrolled in private schools and Religious Affairs Ministry-administered madrasahs, thereby bringing the total number of vaccine recipients targeted at junior high schools to 200 thousand.

"We currently also requested additional vaccines to be allocated to allow all junior high school students in Bekasi District to be vaccinated immediately. We will start from the state school students and then move on to private school students and finally to senior high school students," Carwinda stated.

Carwinda is sanguine that the mass vaccination for students would help his region to achieve herd immunity, especially at schools. After herd immunity is attained, he is confident that schools would gradually reopen, and school activities would also return to normal.

"To monitor the students’ vaccination, they should keep their vaccination card handy and show it once requested. We are also optimistic of the schools opening and normal school activities resuming," Carwinda stated.

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Translator: Pradita KS, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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