"We are starting to pursue vaccination in plural areas with their own challenges," Tarmizi stated during a dialogue on vaccination continuity here on Wednesday.
The spokesperson later explained that the Indonesian government had administered the first dose of vaccine to 67 percent of the community. Hence, 33 percent of the people must immediately receive the vaccination.
While administering vaccination in plural areas, Tarmizi admitted that they were facing several challenges, such as geographical location, availability of transportation, and access for people living in villages to reach vaccination sites.
In Maluku Province, people at times had to navigate through rivers or the sea to receive vaccination provided by the government, she noted.
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"Vaccine distribution is also a challenge to expedite vaccination coverage. We encounter problems in terms of the geographical location and transportation," she noted.
In view of the several challenges faced in expanding vaccination coverage to remote areas, she emphasized that it is important for the public to not be picky about the vaccine brands available in Indonesia.
Vaccination must be pursued immediately on account of the emergence of the new Omicron variant. However, this new variant is reported to have no impact on increasing the severity of symptoms in vaccinated people.
Hence, Tarmizi urged the public to immediately get vaccinated to prevent severe illness due to the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
"Although we know several aspects still need to be researched for the vaccine, it nonetheless offers significant protection and benefits to the people," Tarmizi added.
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Translator: Hreeloita D S, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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