We do not require vaccination as a condition for face-to-face learning, but vaccination supports and boosts our safety so that we can carry out learning wellJakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology has stated that COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 6 to 11 years is not a mandatory requirement during face-to-face learning in schools.
"We do not require vaccination as a condition for face-to-face learning, but vaccination supports and boosts our safety so that we can carry out learning well," the Director-General of Early Childhood Education, Basic and Secondary Education at the ministry, Jumeri, said at the launch of COVID-19 vaccinations for children at Central Jakarta's Cempaka Putih Timur 03 State Elementary School on Tuesday.
He said that vaccinations are essential to protect children ages 6 to 11 years so they can participate in the learning process.
This is especially true since children have learned from home for almost two years, Jumeri said.
He noted that there has been a decrease in learning achievements among children during that period.
"We want to expedite the recovery of learning, and to achieve that our children must be able to partake in normal face-to-face learning. Vaccinations are a big asset for us when supporting face-to-face learning, but not as an obligation," he remarked.
On the same occasion, Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono said that the government is targeting to vaccinate as many as 26.7 million children aged 6-11 years throughout the country.
Therefore, some 58 million vaccine doses are needed to provide two vaccine doses, or fully vaccinate the children against COVID-19.
The Ministry of Health has also prepared an additional 6.4 million vaccine doses to carry out COVID-19 vaccinations for children.
The National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) had earlier permitted the emergency use of the Sinovac vaccine for children aged 6 to 11 years.
To boost immunity against COVID-19, the Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021. President Joko Widodo was the first vaccine recipient under the program.
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Translator: Mentari Dwi, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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