For the general public, let's wait first; our priority is currently the first booster vaccination. Currently, it (the coverage) is only 26.8 percent.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Health has said that the fourth dose or the second booster of the COVID-19 vaccine will be provided to the general public once the coverage of the third dose or the first booster reaches 50 percent.

"For the general public, let's wait first; our priority is currently the first booster vaccination. Currently, it (the coverage) is only 26.8 percent, and our target is 50 percent. The minister asks for (the coverage to be) up to 70 percent. To the community, let's increase the coverage together," spokesperson for the ministry, Mohammad Syahril, said at an online event entitled “Second Booster Vaccination: Protection for Health Workers,” which was followed from here on Monday.

The Indonesian government is targeting to vaccinate 208,265,720 citizens across the country through the national immunization program.

Currently, the second booster dose is only intended for health workers since the protection offered by the first booster is considered to have decreased, Syahril explained.

"Health workers have done the first booster (vaccination) for 12 months so that the effectiveness of the antibodies has decreased," he said.

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The second booster will be provided to 1.9 million health workers in Indonesia, he informed.

Meanwhile, second booster vaccinations for older adults and people at high risk of COVID-19 will follow, he said.

Regarding the provision of COVID-19 vaccinations to children under the age of six, he informed that currently, the ministry is still waiting for the review and recommendation of the Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ITAGI).

In addition, the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) would also need to recommend the types of vaccine that could be used for children under six, he added.

As part of efforts to boost community immunity against COVID-19, the Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021.

According to data provided by the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of Monday, as many as 202,443,211 Indonesians have received the first vaccine dose, 170,035,694 have been administered the second dose, and 55,835,790 have taken the booster dose.

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Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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