With 235,045 Indonesians receiving the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, the total number of booster recipients has reached 57,980,364, the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 has reported.
According to data received from the task force in Jakarta on Thursday, the recipients of the second dose have increased by 36,155, bringing the total tally to 170,392,604.
Meanwhile, the coverage of the first dose has reached 202,841,745, an increase of 28,430 from the previous day.
The task force said that in expanding the scope of the COVID-19 vaccination to maintain antibody levels and reduce virus transmission, the government is targeting as many as 234,666,020 people.
An epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia (UI), Pandu Riono, said the first COVID-19 booster is a must and needs to be prioritized by the community because it has been proven to increase antibody levels.
An antibody serology survey (serosurvey) conducted by the Ministry of Health and the pandemic team from the Faculty of Public Health (FKM), University of Indonesia (UI), showed that the antibody levels of 98.5 percent of Indonesia's population increased by more than four times in July 2022 compared to December 2021, he added.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Mohammad Syahril, said that preventive measures such as the health protocols (prokes) still need to be applied.
"We must continue to apply the health protocols," he added.
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The Jakarta provincial government earlier expedited booster vaccinations as part of an effort to suppress COVID-19 transmission after the number of neighborhood units (RTs) entering the red zone climbed to 28.
"We have urged the related elements regarding efforts to accelerate the third vaccine or booster vaccine for residents in Jakarta," Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria said at Jakarta City Hall, Tuesday.
The efforts made by the local government to accelerate booster vaccination have included the opening of vaccination booths in crowded public places, including during the Citayam Fashion Week in Sudirman area.
The goal is to bring booster vaccination services closer to the community to curb the spread of COVID-19, Patria said.
He also urged the public to always implement the health protocols, including wearing masks, washing hands, and maintaining distance.
The deputy governor sought support and collaboration from all related parties for accelerating the coverage of booster vaccinations.
"Jakarta province will continue to intensify the administration of the third vaccine or booster to reach 100-percent coverage, like the first and second vaccines," Patria informed.
Based on data from the Jakarta Health Service, the first dose coverage as of Monday had reached 12.6 million, or 125 percent of the target of 10 million people.
The second dose coverage had reached 10.7 million, or 106 percent of the target, and the third dose 4.6 million.
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Translator: Devi N, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Suharto
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