"Starting on January 1, 2024, the public must pay for COVID-19 vaccination," head of the DKI Jakarta Health Service, Ani Ruspitawati, stated on Thursday.
She remarked that this paid COVID-19 vaccine applies to all vaccine doses. However, the elderly and vulnerable groups will still receive free COVID-19 vaccines.
Ruspitawati has not yet detailed the cost that will be charged for each vaccine dose. Her side still awaits service mechanisms and technicalities from the Health Ministry.
"Maybe it will be disbursed to the public with normal service mechanisms just like any other paid vaccine. However, we still must wait for the ministry's regulation," she said.
Until the end of 2023, she confirmed that all COVID-19 vaccines will still be free and available at all sub-district health centers in Jakarta.
The DKI Jakarta provincial government also reminds the public to complete the COVID-19 vaccination, wear masks, and maintain health to prevent virus transmission amid the new year holiday period.
In addition, the Health Ministry urged the public to continue wearing masks and practicing clean and healthy living behavior to prevent a potential spike in COVID-19 cases, especially among the elderly and unvaccinated people.
Earlier, President Joko Widodo reminded the public that treatment of COVID-19 patients would no longer be covered by the government since the status has changed from pandemic to endemic.
"If you caught COVID-19 during the endemic, you must pay for the treatment," he remarked in Bogor, West Java, in June.
On the same occasion, the head of state remarked that COVID-19 handling was the toughest task he faced during his administration.
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Translator: Siti Nurhaliza, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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