Balance Vaccinations by Complying with Health Protocols

Name: Balance Vaccinations by Complying with Health Protocols
Uploaded: 2021-02-18T02:54:15Z
Duration: 20 min 32 s
Description: After health workers, market traders, who are categorized as workers and public servants, are next in line to be vaccinated against Covid-19. This must be accompanied by compliance with health protocols.

After health workers, market traders, who are categorized as workers and public servants, are next in line to be vaccinated against Covid-19. This must be accompanied by compliance with health protocols.

KOMPAS TEAM

· 5 minutes read

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The government is expanding the coverage of national vaccinations to control the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been going on for more than 11 months. After health workers, market traders, who are categorized as workers and public servants, underwent Covid-19 vaccinations on Wednesday (17/2/2021).

The mass vaccinations must be followed by the discipline of implementing health protocols in the midst of the high transmission rate. According to the Covid-19 Mitigating Task Force, the ratio of positive tests in Indonesia in a week is 28.2 percent. Even on Tuesday (16/2), the national positive test ratio was 38.3 percent. The World Health Organization (WHO) said a positive test ratio for Covid-19 of more than 20 percent marks case transmission in the community on the highest scale.

Yesterday, vaccinations for workers and public servants were initiated by injecting traders at Tanah Abang Market, Jakarta. The vaccinations were witnessed by President Joko Widodo, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin and Jakarta Governor Anies Rasyid Baswedan.

Also read: Bio Farma Vaccine Granted Emergency Use Approval

Also read: 9 Million People To Be Vaccinated Soon

The President emphasized that the government will continue the national vaccination program that began on Jan. 13. The first phase of vaccinations targeting health workers is underway, while the second stage of vaccinations for public servants and workers starts from Tanah Abang Market.

The number of workers and public servants targeted for Covid-19 vaccination is 16.9 million people. Meanwhile, the target of the second phase of vaccinations includes 21.5 million elderly people.

After Jakarta, vaccinations for workers and public servants will be held in other provinces. The President hopes all workers and public servants, including security forces, market traders, civil servants, journalists, athletes and shop and mall workers, will be vaccinated immediately.

In line with the vaccination administration, people are still asked to strictly follow health protocols. Everyone must always wear a mask, wash their hands, keep their distance and stay away from crowds.

Vaccinations for market traders are carried out under a different model.

On the first day of vaccinations at Tanah Abang Market yesterday, a number of traders did not know the vaccination points, did not have re-registration coupons, and lacked information on the vaccination mechanism. Rivelino, 42, and his wife, a trader in Block A, for example, rushed to the 12th floor when they heard a vaccination call from a loudspeaker.

"Vaccinations for market traders are carried out under a different model. Previously, people came to health facilities or mass vaccination sites, but now we try to come directly to the market. Gradually, this will be done in 115 markets in Jabodetabek (Greater Jakarta) and will become a model in other provinces," said Budi Gunadi.

Case ratio

At a separate event, Budi Gunadi assessed that the very high ratio of confirmed cases (positivity rate) of Covid-19 in Indonesia was not normal. It is not immediately clear if this indicates a high rate of transmission and lack of testing or problems with data input.

The ratio of positive tests should be less than 5 percent according to the limit set by WHO. In Indonesia, the figure is above 20 percent. The positive test ratio is the ratio of the number of positive cases to the number of people tested.

Also read: Curbing COVID-19 transmission

"The positivity rate is very high, especially in the last four days. Maybe due to holidays, the number of those being tested went down," he said.

There are three hypotheses being investigated. First, not all Covid-19 tests with negative results have been included in the report because there is a lot of data and how to enter the application is complicated. "We are improving the system to make it easier for all laboratories and hospitals to submit reports," he said.

The second hypothesis, not all hospitals submit complete test reports. Third, the number of Covid-19 cases in Indonesia is high and there are still lack of examinations. "Therefore, we reproduce it with the antigen rapid tests," said Budi.

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The Indonesian epidemiologist at Griffith University, Dicky Budiman, said that Indonesia could not claim a reduction in cases and transmission of Covid-19 before improving epidemiological data, including the ratio of positive tests. Without accurate data, pandemic mitigation policies can go wrong. "The ratio of positive tests is the clearest measure of the adequacy of the tests and its coverage. The number of tests and case tracing in Indonesia is very low," he said.

Yudhi Wibowo, the field epidemiologist from Jenderal Soedirman University, said that compared to other countries, Indonesia\'s positive test ratio was the highest. India, for example, is only 2 percent.

Indonesia\'s case-tracing ratio is also low compared to other countries, namely 1 in 4 people who are examined for each positive case of Covid-19. Vietnam has a case-tracing ratio of 1: 698.2; Myanmar 1: 103.5; and India 1:62.

In line with the implementation of micro restrictions on community activities (PPKM), there needs to be an increase in the number of tests and tracing, accompanied by follow-up for residents who have close contact with people who are positive for Covid-19.

Nusantara Vaccine

The Nusantara vaccine, which is based on autologous dendritic cells or components of white blood cells, is being developed and completed in phase one clinical trials. The vaccine is claimed to be safe because it is personal so that it can be an alternative vaccine for people with comorbidities.

Also read: Sanctions for People Who Refuse Vaccination

The research of the vaccine is carried out by the Health Research and Development Agency of the Health Ministry in cooperation with the Dr. Kariadi Semarang Public Hospital, Diponegoro University, and AIVITA Biomedical from the United States.

A member of the Nusantara Vaccine research team, Yetty Movieta Nency, at Kariadi Hospital, said that the dendritic cell-based vaccine procedure is different from the Covid-19 vaccine currently in circulation. Blood is taken from the recipients of the vaccine, then white blood cells, and dendritic cells.

( NTA/AIK/ TAN/ DIT)

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.

Editor:

Syahnan Rangkuti

Vaccination vaccine covid-19 pandemic covid-19 pandemic physical distancing covid-19 outbreak herd immunity social restrictions large-scale social restrictions new normal health protocols people with comorbidities