"If we look at the declining number in vaccination, maybe the factor is because the virus transmission is getting lower," she said during a discussion on vaccination continuity on Wednesday.
The decline in the vaccination rate can also be attributed to people's tendency to choose certain brands of vaccines, Tarmizi added.
As per data from the Health Ministry, the number of people who have received the first dose has reached 138 million, or 67 percent of the target, while the number of fully vaccinated recipients has reached 95.5 million, or 45.8 percent, she noted.
Related news: Two-thirds of Indonesians get first vaccine doses
However, the vaccination coverage among the elderly population has only reached 53 percent for the first dose and 34 percent for the second dose, she said.
"On the other hand, if we look at the regions, for almost two to three weeks, there has been a decrease in injections per day. This is because many regions are waiting to be able to get the Sinovac vaccine," she informed.
Looking at the map of COVID-19 vaccines, in the first half of 2021, Indonesia used a lot of Sinovac vaccines, since other types of vaccines could not fully supply the needs of the community at that time, Tarmizi said.
However, in the last six months of 2021, Indonesia had more types of vaccine brands besides Sinovac, such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Moderna, she added.
With the availability of various vaccine types, she said she hoped that all districts and cities can expedite and complete vaccinations.
"We know that all vaccines are equally good even with several side effects. Those are reactions from our bodies to stimulate our immune system reacting to the virus," she added.
Related news: Health Ministry pursues vaccination in plural regions
Related news: COVID-19: Number of second dose recipients reaches 96.5 million
Translator: Hreeloita D S, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
