The realization of COVID-19 first dose vaccinations is targeted to be completed this April 2022Palembang, South Sumatra (ANTARA) - The Health Office of South Sumatra has improved its booster COVID-19 vaccination services, in which the coverage has only reached five percent, or 311 thousand people, ahead of the 2022 Eid al-Fitr exodus.
"The improvement in services for the third dose (booster) vaccination is aimed at maximizing the community's immunity against COVID-19 transmission, especially in facing the 1443 Hijri Eid al-Fitr homecoming exodus," Head of the South Sumatra Health Office Lesty Nurainy stated here on Tuesday.
Apart from booster vaccinations, she affirmed that the health office had also striven to complete the first dose vaccinations, with a coverage of 95 percent, or 5.9 million people vaccinated from the targeted 6.3 million people.
"The realization of COVID-19 first dose vaccinations is targeted to be completed this April 2022," she noted.
Nurainy assessed that in order to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission, it is necessary to provide maximum protection to the community through vaccinations and implementing strict health protocols.
People, who had yet to be vaccinated, are advised to immediately get vaccinated at health facilities and mass vaccination service centers organized by the Health Office, the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and other agencies.
To conduct COVID-19 vaccinations for all target groups in the province with 17 districts and cities, the Health Office has prepared 3,300 officers/vaccinators.
"The vaccination services are provided through mass vaccination activities at various places and 459 health facilities spread throughout South Sumatra Province," the Health Office head remarked.
Earlier, President Joko Widodo had emphasized that people will be allowed to join the Eid al-Fitr exodus if they have completed the primary vaccination and received the booster dose against COVID-19.
The president also noted that every exodus activity should strictly adhere to COVID-19 health protocols.
As part of the efforts to boost community immunity against COVID-19, the Indonesian government rolled out a nationwide vaccination program targeting 208,265,720 citizens on January 13, 2021.
According to the Health Ministry's data, as of April 12, 2022, nearly 197,660,336 Indonesians have received their first COVID-19 jab, 161,761,633 have been fully vaccinated, and 27,960,917 have received the booster shot.
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Translator: Yudi Abdullah, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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