"Vaccinations for children must be revved up because, as of now, the percentage has not reached the target," he said at a press conference here on Thursday.
According to data provided by the Health Ministry, as of February 16, 2022, the COVID-19 vaccination coverage among children aged 6–11 years was just 66.72 percent of the 17.6 million children targeted for the first dose and 29.28 percent or 7.7 million children targeted for the second dose, he noted.
Overall, the Indonesian government is aiming to immunize 26.4 million children from the age group, he said.
A different approach and resource support are needed to boost children's interest in getting vaccinated, Moeldoko added.
The government needs to collaborate with the private sector to accelerate vaccinations among children, he said.
Related news: 620,784 children exposed to COVID-19: PPPA Minister
He affirmed that the KSP is cooperating with a dairy company to provide 4 million units of packed milk as well as entertainment to support children's vaccinations at 4 thousand schools spread across 50 Indonesian cities.
"I welcome Nestle's commitment to participating in government programs, especially in the acceleration of vaccinations for children. This is a form of collaboration that the government and the private sector can carry out," he remarked.
President Joko Widodo on Thursday also called for the acceleration of COVID-19 vaccinations among older adults and children. He gave the instruction while reviewing COVID-19 vaccination programs of 12 provinces virtually.
The Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021, as part of efforts to boost community immunity against COVID-19. President Joko Widodo was the first vaccine recipient under the program.
According to data provided by the Health Ministry, as of February 17, 2022, nearly 189,067,416 Indonesians have received their first COVID-19 jab, 138,280,959 have been fully vaccinated, and 7,730,486 have received the booster shot.
Related news: Ensure COVID-19 vaccine benefits for children: expert
Related news: Omicron changes COVID-19 trend in children: Epidemiologist
Translator: Rangga Pandu, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
