"The side effects that are commonly experienced (by older adults) are pain at the injection site and sometimes, fever or body aches. The fever usually goes away in a day or two," she informed at the Merdeka Barat Forum, which was accessed online from here on Thursday.
According to Tarmizi, all vaccines administered under the national vaccination program, including those provided to older adults, have gone through clinical trials. Based on the trials, the COVID-19 vaccines cause no adverse side effects in older adults, she said.
"In fact, vaccinations are aimed at older adults and those with comorbidities because they are among the most affected groups. This means that this group is the group that has experienced severe COVID-19 symptoms and death," she explained.
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Internal medicine specialist Dirga Sakti Rambo asserted that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for older adults with comorbidities and older adults with well-controlled chronic diseases. He also stressed that the COVID-19 vaccination for older adults is not limited to those below 90, meaning adults aged above 90 can also get vaccinated.
“Before administering the vaccine, we first ask them about their daily activities, whether they can walk, take the stairs, or do other activities on their own. If all of them are fulfilled, they are vaccinated. Therefore, the condition (for receiving the vaccine) is not age," he said.
Rambo affirmed that even though some older adults spend all their time at home, they still need to be immunized against COVID-19 as they can still contract the virus from other family members.
To build people's immunity against COVID-19, the Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021.
According to data provided by the Health Ministry, just 43 percent of the targeted 21.5 million older adults have been vaccinated so far.
Related news: President first in line for COVID-19 vaccination attests safety: MP
Translator: Sanya Dinda, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
