Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi said 23 thousand COVID-19 vaccine doses have been prepared for residents in Yogyakarta Province to support the acceleration of the nation's vaccination program.

One of the vaccination drives was held at Graha Sabha Pramana (GSP) of Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta, on Friday, to mark the National Transportation Day.

"The 23 thousand vaccine doses are spread to be inoculated at seven central points and distributed to many health centers to avoid crowd-making," the minister said while observing the vaccination drive.

According to Sumadi, the vaccinations were held at UGM as the campus will soon start face-to-face teaching.

"This is relevant because, as stated by the UGM's rector, the university will conduct face-to-face teaching in October (2021)," he said.

In addition to UGM, the "Devoted to the Nation" vaccination program will also be held by the Transportation Ministry in Bantul district on Saturday (September 18, 2021) to welcome trial face-to-face learning, he informed.

The minister said that the vaccination program was an effort to respond to the disparity in vaccination coverage in various agglomeration cities, including Greater Yogyakarta.

"For example, the difference between the city of Yogyakarta and Bantul is 40 percent," he pointed out.

He said he hoped that the "Devoted to the Nation" vaccination program carried out by the Ministry of Transportation in collaboration with the TNI, Police, Kagama (UGM alumni association), House of Representatives, and SOEs would accelerate the achievement of herd immunity in the country.

"President Joko Widodo has advised us to do everything in our power, (and) whenever possible, to use up the vaccines quickly," Sumadi said.

In a bid to boost immunity against the COVID-19 virus, the Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021. President Joko Widodo was the first vaccine recipient under the program.

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Translator: Luqman Hakim, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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