Why not turn your COVID jab into a recreational experience? The Udayana Military Command (Kodam IX/Udayana) offered something different to reward those getting their vaccine shots in Bali over the weekend: a chance to climb up a real military tank.
“This is the only one in Indonesia, there is no such thing [in other regions],” I Made Mardika, who heads Kodam IX’s health department, said on Saturday.
About five military tanks were stationed at the Praja Raksaka Sports Arena in Denpasar on Saturday, as military officers sought to attract more public interest for the COVID shots. A recently finished swimming pool was also opened to the public to add more flair to the vaccination experience.
“[Usually] people getting vaccinated only come, sit, receive service and then go home. For that reason, the Military Commander [Maruli Simanjuntak] had an idea for them to climb up the tanks,” Mardika said.
“This is to add to the public’s belief that the vaccines are safe. We should be happy getting vaccinated.”
On Saturday, 546 people from different parts of Bali reportedly got their COVID shots at this location, bringing along their families and kids to climb up the tanks and going for a swim. Kodam IX has yet to decide if they will continue to incorporate the tanks in future vaccination events.
Though we certainly appreciate authorities trying to attract more people to get their vaccine shots, the lack of social distancing seen in photos from last weekend’s event is giving us anxiety. Should they choose to replicate this in the near future, we sure hope the health protocols would at least be tighter.
It does seem that officials have been brewing with creativity across Indonesia as they attempt to convince people to get their COVID-19 vaccine. Earlier this month, a district in Cianjur, West Java rewarded every senior citizen with a live chicken post-jab.
