This second vaccination stage is aimed at 310 students
Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - The State Intelligence Agency (BIN) and Gunung Kidul district Health Office, Yogyakarta are preparing to commence the second stage of student vaccinations by inoculating students of the Wonosari 2 State Middle School.

The student vaccination program is aimed at accelerating the vaccination rate in the region, coordinator of BIN's Gunung Kidul regional office coordinator Toto Sugito said here on Thursday.

"This second vaccination stage is aimed at 310 students. This (vaccination) is an effort to push the vaccination rate in Gunung Kidul, because last July (2021) the vaccination rate was low. But now, the vaccination rate in Gunung Kidul has increased," Sugito elaborated.

The President has hoped for an immediate return to face-to-face learning, and therefore, students are being prioritized for this second stage of vaccination, he said.

However, vaccinations in Gunung Kidul are still below the target, he added.

"Gunung Kidul has a geographical disadvantage. The vaccination for elderly people poses several problems, such as no one to deliver them (to the vaccination site) and others. So, we have eventually chosen to carry out the vaccination program in school. Previously, the vaccination was hosted in an Islamic boarding school," he informed.

The government is pushing to vaccinate 70 percent of the Indonesian population by December 1, 2021.

Sugito said he believes that it is possible to reach the target, provided several things are accounted for.

An official of Gunung Kidul Health Office Sumitro also voiced concern regarding the low vaccination rate, particularly among students.

He revealed that just 11.8 percent of 59,143 students have been vaccinated so far.

"The low vaccination rate is attributed to the lack of healthcare workers, and there was a lack of vaccines at one point as well. So far, every time vaccines arrive, (we) can inject them right away (to the recipients). We are ready," he added.

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Translator: Sutarmi, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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