"The purpose of administering booster vaccinations is to increase the effectiveness of (primary) vaccines that may have decreased," Tarmizi stated during an online seminar themed "Booster Vaccinations to Avoid the Third Wave," monitored online here on Tuesday.
Tarmizi explained that booster vaccination is administered to people that had received complete doses of primary vaccination, whose immunological and clinical protection had decreased after a certain period of time.
The spokesperson added that booster vaccination was administered to extend the protection period, so that mutations from the COVID-19 virus do not have infectious properties.
The spokesperson noted that the protection acquired through the COVID-19 vaccines had two mechanisms: antibody immunity and cellular immunity.
"SARS-Cov-2 antibodies are proven to decrease after six months of complete vaccination. In fact, neutralizing antibody levels decreased more rapidly among older adults than the general population," she noted
However, Tarmizi remarked that the body also forms cellular immunity that lasts a long time and will develop new antibodies when there is further exposure to the virus.
According to the spokesperson, Omicron infections are mostly asymptomatic or mild, as antibody immunity and cellular immunity worked.
Tarmizi noted that the booster vaccination program in Indonesia focuses on three groups: health workers, older adults, and people with autoimmune disorders.
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However, she noted that booster vaccines could also be administered to non-elderly citizens aged 18 years and over with certain conditions.
"Booster vaccinations for non-elderly can be conducted if the district or city has reached 70 percent (vaccination coverage) for the first dose and 60 percent (coverage) for the first dose for the elderly," she remarked.
To boost community immunity against COVID-19, the Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021.
The Indonesian government officially rolled out third dose vaccinations for the public on January 12, 2022, targeting those aged 18 and above that had taken the second dose at least six months ago.
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Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
