Some regions claim to be running out of Covid-19 vaccine stocks while other areas still have plenty. Central and regional vaccine stock data systems should therefore be further improved in order to speed up vaccination.
By
KOMPAS TEAM
·4 minutes read
KOMPAS/KRISTIAN OKA PRASETYADI
The Covid-19 vaccination center at Graha Governorate in Manado, North Sulawesi, was closed on Wednesday (28/7/2021). Vaccination services were reduced and only focused on giving the second dose because the vaccine supply was running out.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Several regions like Central Java and East Java claim to have very limited or even almost exhausted vaccine stocks. The acceleration and expansion of vaccination coverage can be disturbed by, among other things, field data on vaccine stocks failing to synchronize with the central government’s reference data.
“So, two systems should be corrected. The most real-time data come from the PCare (application), while the [central government] reference data are from Smile. In fact, it takes some time for injections, recapitulation and reporting to Smile. Unless there is input, [vaccine] stocks are assumed to be available,” said Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo in Grobogan, on Tuesday (3/8/2021).
Ganjar added that nearly all regencies/cities in Central Java were protesting because vaccines had been used up. He affirmed he had reported this situation to the central government.
Chairperson of the vaccination cluster of East Java’s Covid-19 task force, Herlin Ferliana, spoke in the same tone. She revealed that the regencies/cities in East Java with no more vaccine stocks were Tuban, Blitar, Sidoarjo, Pasuruan and Surabaya. The entire vaccine supply in these regions has already been delivered to health facilities such as community health centers (Puskesmas). In Surabaya, this has caused delays in a number of mass vaccination programs.
Many residents also have to line up for vaccination from early morning due to limited daily quotas. This is noticeable, among other places, in Puskesmas Gunung Anyar, Surabaya, with its daily vaccine quota of 200 people. “I arrived at 5:00 a.m. and got number 112 in the queue, while inoculation starts at 8:00 a.m.”, said a housewife named Arliek, 45.
KOMPAS/NIKSON SINAGA
Residents queue to take part in vaccination at the North Sumatra Multipurpose Building, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra, Tuesday (3/8/2021).
Meanwhile, Puskesmas Kebonsari, Surabaya, has a vaccine quota of 210 people. But it is only for second-dose vaccinations. “I’ve tried to go there but I can’t make it yet because the inoculation is for the second dose,” said Dwi Cahyono, 50, a Jambangan resident.
The reverse is true of Maluku. In the province, a lot of vaccines are stored in various areas. A total of 33,921 doses have not been used yet. Ironically, 171,403 people in Maluku have already received their first dose, just 12.09 percent of their target, and only 72,295 people have had their second jab, or 5.1 percent.
Southwest Maluku regency has the largest vaccine stocks after Ambon city, amounting to 3,700 doses. However, only 5,901 people, or 9.73 percent, have had their first-dose vaccination, and just 2,819 people, or 4.65 percent, have received a second dose.
Maluku Covid-19 task force spokesman Adonia Rerung said his province had started limiting the delivery of vaccines to areas with low rates of vaccination coverage. “Some regions have had vaccines go past their expiration dates,” he said.
According to him, vaccination acceleration in the regency continues to be intensified. Apart from natural barriers posed by the island topography, the biggest constraint being faced is residents’ reluctance get vaccinated.
TANGKAPAN LAYAR
A total of 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm type of mutual cooperation vaccine were returned to Indonesia through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Tuesday (3/8/2021).
Adjustment
Health Ministry spokesperson for Covid-19 vaccination Siti Nadia Tarmizi hoped that regions could maintain appropriate systems of vaccination realization to prevent vaccine stock accumulation or exhaustion.
She added that vaccination should prioritize groups at the highest risk of the disease. The government also prioritizes vaccine distribution to the highest-risk regions. A total of 50 percent of vaccine stocks will be allocated to Java and Bali, of which 50 percent is meant for agglomerated regions.
Nonetheless, the government guarantees that Covid-19 vaccines can be administered to 208 million people set as the target. Of this target, only 22.9 percent have now received first-dose injections and 10.1 percent second-dose jabs.
Based on Health Ministry data on 29 July, the highest first-dose Covid-19 vaccination coverage was in Jakarta (90.07 percent), followed by Bali (89.76 percent) and Riau Islands (64.6 percent).
The regions with minimum coverage include Lampung (9.28 percent), North Maluku (12.07 percent) and West Sumatra (13.99 percent). The vaccination coverage in some Java regions was also quite low, such as West Java (15.7 percent), Central Java (17.59 percent) and East Java (23.76 percent).
/https%3A%2F%2Fkompas.id%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2F4d08ffea-28d6-4544-a2be-002b08844127_jpg.jpg){kind=logo}
/https%3A%2F%2Fkompas.id%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F08%2F20210803162046_IMG_1754_1627995359.jpg){kind=logo}
