"The Indonesian government would like to thank the Dutch government for the vaccine assistance," spokesperson for COVID-19 at the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said in a press release.
The vaccine delivery was a continuation of the Dutch assistance to Indonesia, she added. The first Janssen vaccine assistance of 500 thousand doses was received from the Dutch government on September 11, 2021.
The Indonesian government also received 657 thousand doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the Dutch government, she added.
Further, the Dutch government donated 819,600 doses of the Moderna vaccine on October 30, 2021 and 680,400 doses on October 10, she said.
Tarmizi noted that the grant of vaccines is a tangible manifestation of the good relationship between Indonesia and the Netherlands, as well as proof of the commitment of the two countries to collaborate in handling COVID-19.
Indonesia has aggressively sought equality of access to vaccines to protect the world from the threat of COVID 19, which has continued to mutate, she added.
"As stated by President Joko Widodo, if there is no equal access to vaccines, it will be difficult to meet the vaccination target set by the WHO," she said.
Approximately 80 countries will not be able to vaccinate 40 percent of their population against COVID-19 by the end of 2021, she noted.
However, Indonesia has continued to intensify the national vaccination program to remote villages, Tarmizi said.
"The central government encourages regions to continue to accelerate and expand vaccination coverage for their people. The National Police (Polri) and the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) are also helping in the vaccination program," she informed.
In addition, to guarantee the availability of vaccine stocks, the government is also providing vaccine education to the public, especially to counter false news or hoaxes that are in wide circulation, Tarmizi said.
In some areas, hoaxes have played a role in slowing down vaccinations, she noted. People are afraid and worried about the side effects of vaccination, she said.
"Once again, the government confirms that all the COVID-19 vaccines used in Indonesia are safe and efficacious, and have obtained a permit from the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM)," she emphasized.
Tarmizi then reminded people to increase vigilance amid the emergence of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus in several countries.
"Increasing vigilance includes implementing the health protocols and immediately seeking COVID-19 vaccinations," she added.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
