Vaccination Continues to be Accelerated

INDONESIAN PRESIDENTIAL PALACE / AFP

This handout photo taken on December 6, 2020 and released by the Indonesian Presidential Palace shows workers unloading the 1.2 million dosage of covid-19 vaccine made by Sinovac, upon its arrival from Beijing at the Jakarta International Airport in Tangerang.

The arrival of 1.5 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to be used in the nation’s private vaccination scheme is expected to speed up COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — A total of 1.5 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Friday (30/7/2021). The arrival of the 31st batch of the vaccine to be used in the private vaccination scheme is expected to accelerate the vaccination program in the country. It is hoped that with the arrival of the vaccine, the vaccination target of 2 million doses per day can be met in the effort achieve herd immunity in the country.

Deputy State-Owned Enterprises Minister Pahala Nugraha Mansury said the Gotong Royong private vaccination scheme, was part of the government’s efforts to provide additional options for the public to access the vaccine.

“This is especially so that corporations, employees, their families and also parties related to business entities and legal entities are able to support the national vaccination target," said Pahala.

the Gotong Royong private vaccination scheme, was part of the government’s efforts to provide additional options for the public to access the vaccine.

According to Pahala, the Gotong Royong scheme was based on the spirit of cooperation between the government and the private sector. Communication is being maintained between the government and members of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) to ensure the availability of the vaccine for the private vaccination program so that the business world can get COVID-19 vaccination services more quickly.

"Do not hesitate to get a vaccine, as it can reduce the risk of serious illness if we are exposed to the virus," said Pahala.

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REUTERS/AJENG DINAR ULFIANA

A healthcare worker checks the tension of a volunteer during a simulation for coronavirus vaccine clinical trials next week at the Faculty of Medicine at Padjadjaran University amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Bandung, Indonesia, August 6, 2020.

Only 28,000 companies

On Tuesday (13/7/2021), the chairman of Kadin, Arsjad Rasjid, reiterated his commitment to accelerating the private vaccination program. Kadin is in charge of registering participants, as well as facilitating and determining the allocation of vaccines to private companies in accordance with the vaccine supply that state owned pharmaceutical company Biofarma provides.

According to Kadin’s records, as many as 28,000 companies have so far registered, with a total of 10.5 million participants including employees and their families. However, the allocation given to Kadin for the first phase was only 330,000 doses for 165,000 participants, and in the second phase it totaled only 600,000 doses for 300,000 participants.

According to Kadin’s records, as many as 28,000 companies have so far registered, with a total of 10.5 million participants including employees and their families.

As for the third phase in July, Kadin allocated 1 million doses for 500,000 participants.

"Currently we are coordinating more intensely with all parties so that vaccination for the business world can be carried out quickly," said Arsjad.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

People wait for their turns to get Covid-19 vaccine shots at the RSUD Kembangan hospital in West Jakarta, on Tuesday (23/2/2021). One hundred seventy-three elderly people had been registered to get their vaccine shots at that hospital on Tuesday (23/2/2021). The target for the second phase of the vaccination program is to inoculate more than 38 million people, which includes 17.4 million people working in public and essential services and 21.5 million elderly.

Meanwhile, Kadin deputy head for international relations, Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, said Kadin was grateful for the government\'s commitment to meeting the vaccine needs of the community, particularly business people and workers, through the Gotong Royong program.

"We also urge companies that are financially capable to not only provide vaccines for workers and their families, but also the surrounding communities through corporate social responsibility programs," said Shinta.

Kadin, added Shinta, was committed to helping suppress COVID-19 transmission, including by launching an initiative called Kadin’s War against the Pandemic. "In addition, there are also efforts to provide oxygen supplies, medical equipment, basic necessities and medicines," said Shinta.

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To help people cope with the pandemic, Shinta also encouraged all components of the nation, the private sector, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and other business actors to work together to take part in the vaccination program according to their capacities.

"We also emphasize that Kadin\'s support for government measures and policies in handling COVID-19, including PPKM (mobility restrictions), will never subside," he said.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

A medical worker administers a Covid-19 vaccine to an elderly person at a community health center (Puskesmas) in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, on Tuesday (23/2/2021).

A member of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Indraza Marzuki Rais, said the Ombudsman proposed that the roles of local governments and civil society be strengthened in the vaccination program, especially at the subdistrict level. The government and civil society should be able to jointly control the handling of the pandemic, he added. (CAS/PDS/SYA/APO/*)

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi)