The meningitis vaccines have been distributed to KKPs as well as clinics and government and private hospitals, including (state-owned drug company) Kimia Farma (facilities).
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Meningitis vaccines for Umrah pilgrims have been distributed to regional medical facilities and their provision will no longer be centered at Port Health Offices (KKP), the Health Ministry’s Secretary General Kunta Wibawa Dasa Nugraha has said.

"The meningitis vaccines have been distributed to KKPs as well as clinics and government and private hospitals, including (state-owned drug company) Kimia Farma (facilities). The vaccine will no longer be monopolized at the KKP," Nugraha informed during a press conference on the 58th National Health Day here on Tuesday.

He confirmed that the government has resumed the distribution of meningitis vaccines and provided around 150 thousand doses to medical facilities in the regions.

Umrah pilgrims seeking to get the vaccine prior to their pilgrimage can visit local health facilities, including Kimia Farma facilities, he added.

Meanwhile, Head of the ministry's Communication and Public slServices Bureau Siti Nadia Tarmizi affirmed that the meningitis vaccine doses have been distributed to the regions.

"We have distributed 150 thousand meningitis vaccine doses. There are no more complaints of difficulties in accessing meningitis vaccines," Tarmizi informed.

The ministry has also reserved another 100 thousand meningitis doses as backup stocks at central government-owned storage facilities, she said.

"The total available stocks of meningitis vaccines is 250 thousand doses. Some 150 thousand doses have been distributed to regions, while the rest remain with the central government,” she said.

Tarmizi expressed the hope that the currently available meningitis vaccine stocks would satisfy demand from Indonesian Umrah pilgrims departing for Saudi Arabia until year-end.

The meningitis vaccination is still mandatory for Umrah pilgrims from Indonesia. The Religious Affairs Ministry earlier clarified that the recent health requirement exemption provided to Indonesian pilgrims by the Saudi authority is only for COVID-19 vaccinations.

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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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