Unvaccinated people have a higher potential of allowing the coronavirus to mutate in their body and infect more people with the new virus variantJakarta (ANTARA) - Spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccinations at the Health Ministry, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, has urged unvaccinated Indonesians to promptly participate in vaccination drives so that the chances of the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutating are reduced.
"Unvaccinated people have a higher potential of allowing the coronavirus to mutate in their body and infect more people with the new virus variant," Tarmizi said during a public dialogue on the government's vaccination policy here on Wednesday.
The third COVID-19 wave in several countries has been aggravated despite 50-60 percent national vaccination coverage due to unvaccinated residents inadvertently hosting the virus, making it easy for it to mutate, she explained.
Thus, by creating space for the virus to mutate, unvaccinated residents could increase the risk of vaccinated residents getting infected with new coronavirus strains, the spokesperson added.
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"Hence, our current urgency is to encourage unvaccinated residents to receive their first dose, or complete their second dose, to deny the virus from mutating into its new form," Tarmizi said.
The spokesperson also highlighted that high national vaccination coverage among residents at present is a bigger priority than procuring booster vaccines.
The government is currently focusing on procuring vaccine doses for unvaccinated residents, particularly those living in remote regions that receive a limited number of vaccine vials, she said.
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Tarmizi urged unvaccinated residents, especially in remote regions, not to be picky about vaccine brands and asked them to prioritize achieving herd immunity in their localities by completing vaccination.
"Our current concern is to ensure vaccine availability for those who are unvaccinated. Because our vaccine doses are limited, the best vaccine is the earliest available vaccine and one that completes our two vaccine doses," the spokesperson remarked.
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Translator: Hreeloita DS, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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