"ITAGI has not recommended the fourth dose of vaccination. The coverage of the first dose is good at 90 percent, the second dose is a bit low although it is quite good at 81 percent," ITAGI chairman Sri Rezeki Hadinegoro told ANTARA in Jakarta on Friday.
Meanwhile, so far, booster vaccinations in Indonesia have only reached 53.89 million, or 25.88 percent of the target of more than 208 million people.
Hadinegoro said that so far, the Health Ministry has not sought ITAGI's opinion regarding the fourth or second booster for the general public.
"Officially, they have not asked us yet. Only some informal conversations about it," she added.
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ITAGI had earlier submitted a study to the Ministry of Health on providing the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to people at high risk, for example, people aged over 65 years, people with comorbidities, and those suffering from immune disorders.
"That is what the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends, but every other country has its own conclusions. Like in Thailand, with high number of tourists right now, they are prioritizing the fourth dose for tourism officers," Hadinegoro disclosed.
Regarding the situation in Indonesia, she asked the government to complete the targeted primary and booster vaccinations.
Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Health Ministry, Mohammad Syahril, said that the government is considering providing a fourth dose of the vaccine to the general public on account of predictions of a prolonged pandemic.
"Several countries have started the fourth dose or the second booster. The plan has already been considered in Indonesia because of the long-term pandemic," Syahril informed on Friday.
Some epidemiologists have estimated that the pandemic status would last for quite a long time globally, he said.
Meanwhile, health science experts have concluded that the efficacy of the primary and booster doses of the CPVID-19 vaccine can decrease within ix months.
Related news: Ministry considers fourth vaccine dose as pandemic expected to prolong
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
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