Considering that religious leaders have quite an extraordinary number of followers, it is expected that they can invite their supporters to partake in the vaccination (program)
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The West Jakarta city government is collaborating with mosques and churches to use their premises to conduct mass vaccinations and help accelerate the national immunization program.



Currently, 11 places of worship in the city are being used as locations for mass COVID-19 vaccinations, West Jakarta Mayor, Uus Kuswanto, informed.



"Mosques and churches are being used as vaccination sites," he confirmed here on Tuesday.



The 11 places of worship include four churches -- Santa Maria Immakulata Church Kalideres, Santo Thomas Rasul Church of Bojong Indah, Maria Kusuma Karmel Church Meruya, and Santo Andreas Church Kedoya, he said.



The remaining seven are mosques -- Al Mubarokah Masjid Tambora, Al Falah Masjid Pal Merah, Baitus Salam Masjid Taman Sari, Tama Cahaya Masjid Kebon Jeruk, Al Mukhlisin Great Masjid Grogol Petamburan, Al Istiqomah Masjid, and Al Hasni Masjid in Cengkareng, he added.



Some of these places of worship have started operating as vaccination sites, while the rest will start from August, Kuswanto informed.



The West Jakarta city government is collaborating with religious leaders in the mass vaccination program as they can help encourage the public to get vaccinated, he explained.



"Considering that religious leaders have quite an extraordinary number of followers, it is expected that they can invite their supporters to partake in the vaccination (program)," he said.




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The Religious Affairs Ministry (Kemenag) has said it is seeking to use Islamic boarding schools (ponpes), places of worship, and other religious educational institutions as vaccination centers as part of efforts to realize herd immunity quickly.



"The government is accelerating the vaccination rate. The Religious Affairs Ministry is trying to be proactive and expects that places of worship, Islamic boarding schools, and other religious education institutions can be optimized in this acceleration (effort)," Zainut Tauhid Sa'adi from the ministry said in a written statement received in Jakarta some time ago.



Islamic boarding schools and places of worship can play an important role in the effort to accelerate the vaccination rate, he said. If vaccinations are carried out in Islamic boarding schools all across Indonesia, students from the age of 12 and up as well as local residents can be targeted, he said.

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Religious instructors, who were previously educating the public about the benefits of vaccines, have been asked to cooperate with the ulamas and public figures up to the level of the taklim assembly (majelis taklim), he added.



"I think Islamic boarding schools (can play a very strategic role) in accelerating the vaccination rate among children. Thousands and, maybe, even millions of students, aged over 12 years (can be vaccinated at the schools)," Sa'adi remarked.


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Translator: Walda Marison, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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