Pekalongan, Central Java (ANTARA) - Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo has said he is aiming to vaccinate two million children in the 6–11 age group in the province to protect them from COVID-19.

"The target for children's vaccinations in Central Java is around two million; we will pursue it. Today, we have not received the special vaccines' allocation for children, so, for now, we are utilizing vaccines that have not been distributed, so we use them first," he informed in Pekalongan on Monday.

According to the governor, vaccinating children in schools is considered easier because all that needs to be done is to call the children to school and then administer the COVID-19 vaccine to them.

"We will expedite vaccinations of these children in schools because the method is easy. Just invite these children, give the vaccines then and there. Done," he remarked.

He made the statement while reviewing COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged 6–11 years in Pekalongan city.

Pranowo visited two schools— Podosugih 03 State Elementary School and Tirto 03 State Elementary School in West Pekalongan sub-district, Pekalongan.

At the two schools, he met children who said they were not afraid of getting vaccinated. The kids told him they understood the importance of vaccines: they would offer them protection against COVID-19.

Pranowo said he expected the vaccination program for children to be pushed so that it would offer a sense of security and peace, thereby allowing face-to-face learning at school to run as usual.

The central government is aiming to vaccinate 70 percent of its citizens by the end of 2021. Recently, efforts were launched to vaccinate children aged 6 to 11 years old across Indonesia in order to meet that end.

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Translator: Wisnu Adhi N, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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