Regional governments across Indonesia can start vaccinating children aged 6-11 from Dec. 24, should they meet several conditions laid out by the central government.
The provision was included in an official instruction issued yesterday by the Ministry of Home Affairs on COVID-19 prevention and control for the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays, which will take effect from Dec. 24, 2021 to Jan. 2, 2022.
In order to start vaccinating the age group, at least 70 percent of a region’s population must have already gotten their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, and at least 60 percent of the elderly population must have already gotten their first jab, too.
The central government is also urging regional heads to speed up their vaccination targets, with goals currently set to 70 percent for the first dose, and around 48 percent for the second dose of the total target, with a special focus on reaching senior citizens.
According to the latest data by the Health Ministry, more than 100 million Indonesians have been fully vaccinated (excluding booster shots), putting the numbers at almost 49 percent from the country’s vaccination target.
In early November, the Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the administration of Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 6-11, with the program initially expected to commence early next year.
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