Vaccination is important to ensure that mortality will decrease among those affected by COVID-19
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono believes that herd immunity is attainable if majority of the population receives the COVID-19 vaccination.

"Herd immunity means that most people in Indonesia had been vaccinated," Harbuwono stated while delivering his remarks at the inauguration of the Vaccination Center of the University of Indonesia in Salemba, Jakarta, which was broadcast virtually on Monday.

The deputy health minister also emphasized the significance of vaccination to lower the death rate due to COVID-19.


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"Vaccination is important to ensure that mortality will decrease among those affected by COVID-19," he added.

According to data of the COVID-19 Task Force on September 5, the number of Indonesians that had received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine reached 38,223,153, an increase of 192,501, from the previous day.


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The government plans to vaccinate 208,265,720 people to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19.

In a bid to expedite the realization of herd immunity, the government is targeting to vaccinate around 2.3 million people daily.

"This is not an explicit program from the Ministry of Health. We make efforts with the help of friends from the alumni, institutions, the private sector, companies, social organizations, National Defense Forces (TNI), and National Police (Polri) to implement this vaccination program," Harbuwono noted.

In addition to vaccination, another important aspect in handling COVID-19 is the intensification of examination and tracking of people that had come in close contact with COVID-19 suspects, handling patients in hospitals, and enforcing health protocols.

"We are educating the public, so that people partake in the efforts from their respective places to overcome this pandemic through the health protocol program that we have created," he affirmed.


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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta S
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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