Access to Vaccines Expanded
As of Wednesday (04/08/2021), 48.4 million people have received their first jab of the COVID-19 vaccination.
Vaccination coverage is expected to increase, as people’s access to COVID-19 vaccines will be expanded. However, this must be complemented by a guarantee of supply availability and smooth distribution of vaccines.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — People who are categorized as vulnerable but do not have a citizenship identification number (NIK), can now take part in COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccines will be given at certain locations agreed by the Population and Civil Registration Offices at the regional level, while at the same time, participants can also obtain an NIK.
“COVID-19 vaccination can be given to those who do not have a NIK, yet it must be administered at the Population and Civil Registration Office,” Siti Nadia Tarmizi, the Health Ministry’s spokeswoman for COVID-19 vaccination, said in Jakarta on Wednesday (4/8/2021).
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Such a requirement is necessary as COVID-19 vaccination requires data collection on the vaccinated population, which will be recorded in an integrated, unified data system on COVID-19 vaccination. The data system includes the names, addresses and NIK of vaccine recipients. Meanwhile, the vulnerable include persons with disabilities, indigenous people, residents of correctional institutions, people with social welfare problems and troubled Indonesian migrant workers.
Following the decision, a circular No. HK.02.02/III/15242/2021 on COVID-19 vaccination for the vulnerable and citizens without NIK was issued by the Health Ministry’s Secretary General. The circular has been distributed to all agency heads at the provincial, regental and municipal levels.
In this regard, the citizens’ needs for vaccination and a NIK could be simultaneously met.
In the circular, it is stipulated that COVID-19 vaccinations for citizens without NIK could be carried out with the Population and Civil Registration Office in a predetermined location. In this regard, the citizens’ needs for vaccination and a NIK could be simultaneously met.
Reisa Broto Asmoro, the government’s spokeswoman for COVID-19 and new adaptation ambassador, explained that the-19 vaccines had been proven effective to protect people from serious symptoms, hospitalization and even death. Research published in the New England Medicine Journal on July 7 found that the Sinovac vaccine could prevent COVID-19 infections, severe symptoms and deaths. The research was conducted from Feb. 2 to May 1 on 10.2 million people.
Based on data from the Health Ministry, 90.98 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been distributed to across Indonesia. A total of 3.09 million doses are ready to be shipped, while 6.9 million doses currently stored in vaccine storage warehouses.
Thus, according to Siti Nadia, the total number of vaccines that have been distributed to regional facilities at the regental and municipal level has reached 100.9 million doses.
“Stocks of vaccines at the regional level amount to 10 million doses. People must not hesitate to get vaccinated in time, according to the vaccine availability schedule,” Siti said.
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As of Wednesday (04/08/2021), 48.4 million people have received their first jab of the COVID-19 vaccination. Meanwhile, as many as 21.9 million people, or 10.5 percent of the government’s target of 208.2 million people, have received the second dose.
In several regions, COVID-19 mass vaccination continues to be carried out. The Tegal administration in Central Java, for instance, targets to have 90 percent of its targeted population vaccinated by October. It also aims to establish vaccination tourist destinations in Pantai Alam Indah pier. Meanwhile, 1,250 doses of the vaccine have been prepared for a drive-thru mass vaccination event at Soerojo Psychiatric Hospital in Magelang, also in Central Java.
At the same time, the distribution of the third dose of the vaccine, also known as a booster made by Moderna, has started in several regions, including Makassar, South Sulawesi; Palembang, South Sumatra; and Sidoarjo, East Java.
On Monday (02/08/2021), Indonesia recorded a total of 523,164 active COVID-19 active cases. Of that number, 14 percent were hospitalized and 83.2 percent were self-isolating at home. The national COVID-19 task force recorded 35,867 new cases and 1,747 deaths on Wednesday (04/08/2021).
Spike in Bali, West Nusa Tenggara
Surges in COVID-19 cases have occurred in Bali and West Nusa Tenggara, where many hospitals are full. The two regions are experiencing shortages of oxygen, medication and medical workers, while the number of tests and tracing activities also falls short.
“The number of cases in Jakarta, Bogor and Depok in West Java and Tangerang in Banten has fallen drastically. In hospitals, in particular, the decreasing number of cases is very apparent. Almost the majority of regions across Java have experienced a decrease in cases. However, cases outside Java have soared, such as in Sumatra, Kalimantan and the eastern part of Indonesia,” said Mahesa Paranadipa Maikel, the daily chairman of the Indonesian Medical Association’s (IDI) mitigation team.
At the national level, the death rates for medical workers is decreasing.
“As of Aug. 3, 2021, 640 doctors have died. The highest number of deaths was in July, with as many as 164 dead. As of Aug. 3, seven doctors have died,” said Mahesa.
Head of IDI’s Bali chapter, I Gede Putra Suteja, said a spike in new COVID-19 cases in Bali had started, with more than 1,000 new cases recorded every day. Now, the region has recorded 79,917 cases in total, 13, 344 of which are active cases, and 2,269 deaths.
“Usually, the surge of new cases in Bali occurs a month after Java experiences a surge,” said Putra.
Currently, Bali’s centralized isolation area, as well as the occupancy rate of beds and intensive care rooms in hospitals, are almost full.
“Even worse, supplies of oxygen are limited as the rate of consumption surpasses the supplies. We must look for oxygen supplies from other regions. In addition, medication, especially antivirals, are becoming very limited.”
IDI doctors highlighted the limitations of testing and tracing activities at the regional level, which are perceived as serious obstacles to managing the pandemic. In Bali, case tracking is very low, with a ratio of one to three. This means that from one positive case, only three close contacts are traced.
“In fact, the World Health Organization’s recommendation is 1:30,” said Putra.
Indonesian Public Health Experts Association (IAKMI) chairman Ede Surya Darmawan said the quality of self-isolation must be strengthened.
“Make sure that people who are self-isolating meet the set requirements, such as routine monitoring by health workers and that they have basic supplies like oximeters and sufficient medication,” Ede said.
Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy said the government had received 20,102 vials of remdesivir from the Netherlands. Remdesivir, which has been used in treating COVID-19 patients, was imported from Amsterdam to the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang.
The drugs were delivered in stages, with 11,520 packages sent on July 31, 2021, followed by 8,582 packages on Aug. 2, 2021.
(This article was translated by Astria Zahra Nabila)