Since Tuesday, our system recorded that more than 500 thousand population aged 6–11 out of the targeted 26.5 million has been vaccinated.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - More than 500 thousand children in the 6-11 age group have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine across Indonesia within a week, the Health Ministry has said.

"Since Tuesday, our system recorded that more than 500 thousand population aged 6–11 out of the targeted 26.5 million has been vaccinated," Director General of Disease Prevention and Handling at the ministry Maxi Rein Rondonuwu informed.

"The vaccination is proceeding well. People are becoming more interested because it has been a week," he added at the "Vaccination Safe for Children" event broadcast on FMB9's YouTube channel here on Monday.

The goal of children's vaccinations is to suppress cases of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, at health service facilities and to provide immunity to children at risk of COVID-19, he explained.

In addition, children's vaccinations are expected to improve parents' confidence in letting their children attend face-to-face learning at school, he said.

The Sinovac vaccine being administered to children is considered by experts to be effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in families in the home environment, especially among the vulnerable elderly group, he informed.

According to Rondonuwu, the children's vaccination program will not distract the government's focus on providing vaccines to teenagers, adults, and the elderly.

"Everyone is a priority, though we target vulnerable groups at the beginning. Now, there are no priorities, only regional ones. We start from regions with expansive vaccination scope for children," he elaborated.

Children's vaccinations are being carried out in provinces and districts or cities where first dose vaccinations have reached above 70 percent and elderly vaccinations above 60 percent.

"Regions that carry out vaccinations should be encouraged so that elderly vaccinations could be done, and then the children (could be immunized)," Rondonuwu noted.

Currently, the Sinovac vaccine is being provided to children, he said. It is the only vaccine declared safe to use in Indonesia and has obtained emergency-use authorization (EUA) from the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM), he added.

However, this does not close off the possibility of BPOM authorizing other vaccines for children, he said.

"We are still waiting for further development concerning vaccine utilization besides Sinovac," he added.

The Health Ministry is also continuing to drive the fulfillment of basic immunity for children that had previously declined as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, he informed.

Related news: Surabaya ensures adequate vaccine stocks for children aged 6-11 years
Related news: 106.02 million Indonesians fully immunized against COVID-19
Related news: Govt bolsters vaccination, health facilities to prevent case spike

Translator: Andi Firdaus, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2021