Hence, public socialization on vaccination is not just providing information about the program, but also making the information accepted, understood, and complied soon.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The vaccination program in remote areas of West Sulawesi Province is being hampered by the spread of hoaxes, mostly on social media, acting head of the province’s Communications and Information Office, Mustari Mula, has said.

“At first, hoaxes had spread among the community before the correct information could be delivered," he noted at an online discussion on the Merdeka Barat 9 Forum, accessed from here on Wednesday.

Hence, when the vaccination program began, the socialization about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine was also carried out intensively, he said.

Thanks to the collaboration of various stakeholders in conducting the socialization, people’s participation in the vaccination program has increased, he added.

According to Health Ministry data, as of 12 p.m. Western Indonesia Time on Wednesday, the first dose vaccination coverage in West Sulawesi Province had reached 494,082, while the second one had been administered to 268,197 people, he noted.

The vaccination target for the province is 1,089,240 people, he said.

Related news: Elderly vaccination coverage low due to hoaxes: Health Ministry

Furthermore, the office head informed that alternative vehicles are being used to carry vaccines and health workers to secluded areas.

Usually, they use horses and trail motorbikes which are able to pass through rough fields, he added.

Meanwhile, the head of the Indonesian National Nurses Association (PPNI), Harif Fadhillah, also acknowledged the challenge of access to remote areas in conducting the vaccination program.

Health workers often use various transportation modes to reach remote areas, such as boats to reach small islands, he said.

People’s understanding of the need for vaccination has also become a concern for related stakeholders in conducting the program in remote areas, he added.

"Hence, public socialization on vaccination is not just providing information about the program, but also making the information accepted, understood, and complied soon," Fadhillah remarked.

Related news: Hoaxes impeding vaccinations among indigenous people: AMAN

Translator: Prisca Violleta, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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