Expanding Covid-19 Vaccination for Children

The Covid-19 vaccination program for children aged 6-11 years has commenced in areas with high vaccination rates, which will protect children and those around them from the infectious disease.

KOMPAS/VIDELIS JEMALI

A student gets the Covid-19 vaccine in Palu City, Central Sulawesi, Friday (3/9/2021). Vaccination for ages 12-17 in Central Sulawesi has reached 25,000 children.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Covid-19 vaccination for children aged 6-11 years is to start on Tuesday (14/12/2021). The pediatric vaccination program is planned for 115 districts and cities where first-dose coverage has reached 70 percent of residents and 60 percent of the elderly population.

According to the Health Ministry’s acting director general for disease prevention and control, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, vaccination for children aged 6-11 years will be carried out in phases, first targeting areas with high vaccination rates. It is hoped that the pediatric vaccination program can then be expanded to other areas in January 2022.

“Vaccination [for children] will begin on 14 Dec. 2021. The first phase will target regions with 70 percent first-dose coverage and 60 percent first-dose coverage for the elderly,” he said in Jakarta on Monday (13/12).

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There are 106 districts/cities in 11 provinces that meet this criteria. The 11 provinces are Banten, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, East Kalimantan, the Riau Islands, West Nusa Tenggara, North Sulawesi and Bali.

These provinces have a total of 8.8 million children aged 6-11 years. According to the 2020 national census, the country has 26.5 million children in that age range.

Tegal has been selected as a pilot for the Covid-19 pediatrict vaccination program in Central Java. The first-dose vaccination targeting 28,200 children aged 6-11 years commences on Wednesday (15/12) and is targeted for completion in 10 days.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

A 12-year-old child receives the first dose of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine at the Project shopping area, Jl Ir H Juanda, Bekasi City, West Java, Monday (13/9/2021).

According to Tegal Mayor Dedy Yon Supriyono, the vaccine will be distributed to school principals, committee heads and homeroom teachers on Tuesday (14/12). Parents can accompany their children to be vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Januk Suwardi, head of elementary schools at the Bekasi Education Agency, said the agency had just finished registering all children aged 6-11 years targeted for Covid-19 vaccination, totaling 203,794 children in the municipality.

Vaccine product

According to Maxi, the Covid-19 vaccine to be given to the targeted children is the Sinovac vaccine, which has been granted emergency use approval (EUA) from the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM). “Next year, Sinovac will only be used for children so that it does not cause any issues with other vaccination targets,” he said.

Based on the Health Minister’s decision, the pediatric Covid-19 vaccination program is to be administered at Puskesmas (community health centers), hospitals, vaccination posts, child welfare institutions, schools equipped with the proper facilities and other selected venues. “Precise preparations are needed, including mapping the available human resources and integration with the [national] vaccination program,” said Maxi.

Chairwoman Sri Rezeki Hadinegoro of the Immunization Technical Advisory Group said that vaccinating children would protect them as well as those around them. Although Covid-19 symptoms in children were milder than in adults, there were still risks that required caution, especially for children with comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes and asthma.

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“Vaccines for children must be safe and must have been clinically tested for adjusting the dosage. So vaccines for children must have obtained an EUA from the BPOM,” said Sri.

The children will be vaccinated by injecting the vaccine into the muscles of the upper arm. A single dose of 0.5 milliliters is given first, followed by an injection of twice this dose after a minimum of 28 days. Two shots are required for optimal immunity.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Students prepare to get a Covid-19 vaccination at Ranggajati Sports Center, Cirebon Regency, West Java, Thursday (5/8/2021).

Parents must ensure that their children were healthy prior to vaccination. Children should go to bed early the night before and remember not to skip breakfast. “They must also provide the child’s clinical history, if any, to the vaccination officer,” Sri added.

Hindra Irawan Satari, who heads the National Commission on Post-Immunization Events (Komnas KIPI), explained that the research showed that the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Sinovac was safe for use in children aged 6-11 years. Adverse events after immunization were generally localized or systemic, such as pain, swelling and itching at the site of the injection, while systemic symptoms included fever, cough and headache.

Thus far, Indonesia’s pandemic has been brought under relative control, despite the increase in community mobility.

“The Covid-19 pandemic is under control, with the virus’ reproduction rate below 1. This is because, among others, more people have Covid-19 antibodies. Many cases of infection [also] go unnoticed,” said epidemiologist Iwan Ariawan from the University of Indonesia’s public health department.

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A technical report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday (12/12) stated that the Omicron variant was more contagious than the Delta variant, caused mild symptoms and reduced vaccine efficacy. The latest variant had already spread to 63 countries, mainly in South Africa.

After a virtual meeting led by President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin yesterday, Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi explained that more than 70 countries had detected the Omicron variant, with some countries located close to Indonesia.

As Indonesia assumed the G20 presidency on 1 Dec. 2021, strict health protocols have been implemented since the arrival of the first delegation comprising representatives of G20 member countries and international institutions, as well as invitees. (TAN/AIK/JUM/XTI/RAM/VAN/INA/EVY)

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.