It means that if he has been administered the first dose but did not receive the second dose for more than six months, then he has to restart by taking the first dose and then the second dose.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Health Ministry has appealed to citizens, who have not received the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine for over six months, to restart the vaccination process.

“It means that if he has been administered the first dose but did not receive the second dose for more than six months, then he has to restart by taking the first dose and then the second dose,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, explained here on early Tuesday.

The provision is stipulated in the Health Ministry's Circular No. SR.02.06/11/921/2022 on COVID-19 Vaccination for Drop Out Targets released on February 13, 2022.

The drop out targets include those, who have not received the second dose over six months after the first dose.

“The provision is required in order that the drop out targets could receive the primary vaccination immediately,” she stated.

Those who dropped out less than six months can receive the second dose through different platforms according to the availability in each region, the ministry’s public health secretary director general added.

Related news: Gov't targets achieving 50% second-dose vaccination target by December

Another provision stipulated in the regulation highlighted that people that dropped out can receive the vaccine through different available platforms to complete their second dose by prioritizing the vaccine with the soonest expiry date.

“Since the Sinovac vaccine currently being distributed is limited and targeted for children in the age bracket of 6-11 years, the drop outs can receive vaccine with different platforms,” she pointed out.

All provisions aim to optimally protect the public from the worst case scenario of being infected by COVID-19 by administering full doses of both the primary and booster vaccines no later than six months from the primary ones, Tarmizi noted.

As of February 12, 2022, a total of 188,168,168 citizens have received the first dose, while some 135,537,713 citizens have been fully vaccinated.

“Hence, some measures to help cover people, who have not received the second dose or primary vaccination, are necessitated,” she emphasized.

The recommencement of vaccination for drop outs aligns with the Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ITAGI) as of February, 11, 2022, she remarked.

Related news: Government targets administering first dose to 60 percent of populace

Translator: Andi Firdaus, Juwita Trisna
Editor: Suharto
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