"Based on the manual count, we have reached the 70-percent target (for vaccination coverage). However, in the application, we are still in the data input process. We are pretty sure that the result will not be much different," Mahyeldi stated during the inauguration of 414 staff members of the West Sumatra provincial government on Friday night.
The West Sumatra governor associated the province's vaccination achievement to the sound cooperation between all parties in West Sumatra since early November 2021 in order to rev up the COVID-19 vaccination drive.
"We laud all parties involved, comprising the regional government, health personnel, West Sumatra Regional Police, the Indonesian Military (TNI), and the State Intelligence Agency of West Sumatra. Without the support of all parties, we would not have been able to achieve the target," Mahyeldi noted.
The governor spoke of his side having faced several problems in expediting COVID-19 vaccinations in December 2021, such as severe weather and several people that had migrated, yet their names were still registered as West Sumatra's residents.
"Vaccinations could not be conducted in outdoor areas for several days due to rainstorms, and it disrupted the daily vaccination rate," he pointed out.
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Even when health personnel made direct visits to the residents' homes to vaccinate them, the process was hindered since many residents had migrated to other regions, he explained.
However, Mahyeldi believes that by intensifying the West Sumatra Vaccine Awareness (Sumdarsin) Program, the province had finally achieved the target.
The Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021, in a bid to boost immunity against COVID-19.
According to data provided by the Health Ministry, as of December 31, 2021, nearly 161,320,351 citizens had received their first COVID-19 jab, while 113,849,477 had been fully vaccinated against the virus.
The government is planning to commence administering the third dose or booster vaccines in January 2022.
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Translator: Miko Elfisha, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
