Jakarta, 30/7/2022 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government announced the rollout of second booster vaccinations on Friday (July 29, 2022) for those who have completed six months since their first booster shot.
The second booster vaccination is meant to provide additional protection to individuals, particularly healthcare workers, amid the emergence of BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants, which cause mild to no symptoms.
The Task Force
for COVID-19 Handling has called for continued public vigilance amid
increased transmission of COVID-19, with the number of new daily cases
crossing six thousand.
"Last time, Indonesia saw a figure
above six thousand was in March 2022," the task forces spokesperson,
Wiku Adisasmito, said on July 29.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi
Sadikin earlier emphasized the importance of the booster vaccine to
strengthen immunity against COVID-19.
People who have not
received at least the first vaccine dose are 30 times more likely to be
hospitalized after contracting COVID-19 compared to those who have
received the booster dose, he highlighted.
"People who have
only been vaccinated once are about 20 times more likely to be
hospitalized. People who have only been vaccinated twice are 10 times
more likely to be hospitalized compared to those who have received the
booster dose," he remarked.
The Ministry of Health has issued
Circular Letter Number HK.02.02/C/3615/2022 regarding the second
booster COVID-19 vaccination of healthcare workers as priority
recipients because they are in the frontline of the fight against
COVID-19.
Vaccine brands that have obtained emergency-use authorization (EUA) from the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) will be used for the second booster vaccinations, depending on their availability, according to the ministrys director-general of disease prevention and control, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu.
