Until now, only 168 million people have received it (the vaccine dose) completely. So, if we compare, this is approximately 62 percent of the total populationJakarta (ANTARA) - Several factors related to COVID-19 immunization are keeping Indonesia from meeting the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) requirements for attaining endemic status, secretary of public health at the Health Ministry, Siti Nadia Tarmizi has said.
"Until now, only 168 million people have received it (the vaccine dose) completely. So, if we compare, this is approximately 62 percent of the total population," Tarmizi said on the "Fight Mutating Virus with Booster Vaccine" talk show here on Monday.
The WHO's requirement for entering the endemic period is that at least 70 percent of the entire population must have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
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However, Tarmizi said she is confident that the goal of 70-percent vaccination coverage can be achieved by the end of June 2022.
According to her, several factors have influenced why the second-dose coverage target has not been reached, such as people testing positive for COVID-19. She said that although their symptoms have been mild, the infected people still have had to wait to get the injection.
Another factor has been the constantly improving COVID-19 situation due to which some people have felt there is no need to get protection by getting the second jab, she noted.
The last factor has been geographical as health workers need to reach remote areas, which is time-consuming, she said.
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"The number of provinces that have not reached the 70 percent (mark) is around six to seven," she added.
However, in the provinces that have reached 70-percent coverage, there are still cities/districts that have not achieved the standard because their populations are pretty scattered throughout the region, she added.
Therefore, she said, the government needs to accelerate the goal of entering the endemic period by opening more vaccination centers, inviting community leaders to socialize the importance of vaccinations, and explaining that the pandemic is not over.
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Translator: Devi R, Kenzu T
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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