"All public health centers (Puskesmas) will resume their vaccination drive, particularly for those already scheduled to receive their second vaccine dose," spokesperson for the city's COVID-19 Handling Committee and head of the Balikpapan Health Office, Dr. Andi Sri Juliarty, said.
The city's COVID-19 vaccination program is aimed at local neighborhood heads and those taking part in the enforcement of public activity restrictions (PPKM) in their localities, he informed.
The East Kalimantan Provincial Health Office has provided 1,691 vials of COVID-19 vaccines to the city, which are sufficient for administering around 16,910 doses, he said adding that each vial can be used to inoculate ten persons.
The 1,691 vials have been allocated to several posts, with the city's vaccination program receiving one thousand vials, the military receiving 185 vials, the police receiving 406 vials, and the Municipal Health Office receiving 100 vials.
"Residents who missed their appointment for the second vaccine due to the stocks vacuum can immediately visit the public health centers where they received the first vaccine," Dr. Juliarty said.
Puskesmas officers will also notify vaccine recipients of the arrival of new vaccine stocks via short message service, he added.
"Except for three thousand new recipients, who will receive their first vaccine at the Beriman Public Hospital in Gunung Malang, all other second vaccines are to be administered at the BSSC Dome building tomorrow (August 3, 2021)," Dr. Juliarty informed.
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The vaccination drive for the second dose had to be relocated from the Beriman Public Hospital as it has been overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients, he explained.
Vaccination drives in Balikpapan faced a delay of several days after the vaccine stocks of the municipal COVID-19 Handling Committee ran out, he said.
Despite this, vaccination drives were hosted by the military and the police as their stocks were separate from that of the COVID-19 handling committee, he added. The vaccination drive for passengers at Balikpapan's Sepinggan Airport also continued, he said.
According to the Balikpapan Health Office, as many as 136 thousand out of 688 thousand city residents were vaccinated as of the end of July 2021. Vaccination rate in the city currently stands at 21.3 per cent of the total population, it added.
The vaccination drive in Balikpapan commenced on January 29, 2021, with the city's police chief, Inspector General Herry Rudolf Nahak, becoming the first vaccine recipient.
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Translator: Novi Abdi, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
