Indonesia already has enough vaccines from the 2021 vaccine procurement contract that will arrive in Indonesia in early 2022, he said in a press statement issued here on Tuesday.
In addition, booster vaccines have also been obtained from other nations through donations such as through the COVAX facility and bilateral cooperation programs, he said.
According to the minister, COVAX has provided vaccine assistance for 20 percent of Indonesia's population.
"It has been confirmed that it will be increased to 30 percent of Indonesia's population, or equivalent of 27 million people, or 54 million doses of free vaccines," he revealed.
The type of booster vaccines will be determined based on vaccine readiness and research results approved by the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) and the Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ITAGI), Sadikin affirmed.
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Primary Sinovac vaccine participants will be given a half dose of Pfizer vaccine as a booster, he informed. Meanwhile, full-dose primary Sinovac recipients will be given a half dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, he added.
People who have received the complete dose of the AstraZeneca primary vaccine will get a half dose of the Moderna vaccine as a booster, he said.
Several studies have shown that both homologous (same type) and heterologous (different type) combinations of booster vaccines produce similar increases in antibodies, he highlighted.
According to Sadikin, many research results have proven that both half-dose and full-dose boosters have similar effects on recipients, but half-dose has a less severe adverse event following immunization (AEFI).
He also said that the booster vaccine program will currently prioritize the elderly and vulnerable groups.
"The booster vaccination is the government's commitment to protecting all Indonesian communities from the threat of COVID-19 and its variants," Sadikin added.
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Translator: Andi F, Kenzu T
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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