"On behalf of the government, we thank the Bangka Belitung University, national police, and national defense force for this vaccination activity," Presidential Special Staffer Aminuddin Ma'ruf stated during a speech at the Bangka Belitung University, Balun Ijuk Bangka, on Wednesday.
Ma'ruf noted that in a bid to expedite COVID-19 vaccinations, the Presidential staffs had collaborated with the National Police to form three clusters, comprising the Islamic boarding school cluster, which was opened virtually by President Joko Widodo and National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo.
"As of today, 281,531 doses have been administered to students and extended families of Islamic boarding schools, and in future, one million students and caregivers of Islamic boarding schools are targeted to be vaccinated," he elaborated.
As of Wednesday, Sept 15, some 23,200 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered to university students. The vaccines were allocated to students at various campuses spread across 34 provinces.
"We are targeting 250 thousand students to receive COVID-19 vaccinations through collaboration between the Presidential staffs and the National Police and National Defense Force," he affirmed.
He lauded the Bangka Belitung Police Chief, Bangka Police Chief, Bangka Belitung University Rector, and the Bangka District Health Office for the vaccination program that went smoothly at this university.
"Today, nationally, five provinces are the main targets for expediting vaccination. In Sumatra, there are Lampung, West Sumatra, and the Bangka Belitung Islands," he noted.
The effort made by the Presidential staffs aligned with the president's goal. President Joko Widodo has aimed to vaccinate 70 percent of Indonesia's citizens by the end of 2021 in order to build herd immunity.
Recently, during the UOB Economic Outlook 2022 virtual seminar, the president revealed that 72.76 million people, or 34.94 percent of the population, had been vaccinated, thereby indicating half-way achievement of the goal.
Translator: Aprionis, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
