The government has expedited the launch of the COVID-19 vaccination drive for children aged 6-11 by 10 days, the Health Ministry said, with select regions set to begin administering jabs tomorrow.
The vaccination drive for the youngest eligible age group was initially scheduled to begin on Dec. 24. A statement published by the Health Ministry on Dec. 12 said the government has decided to speed up the launch to Dec. 14 in regions that have met the requirements to kick off the drive.
“This is being done because we want to accelerate the distribution of vaccines to all of the Indonesian people, and to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” the Health Ministry’s Disease Prevention and Control Director General Maxi Rein Rondonuwu said.
It’s probably worth noting that the timing of the jab is less awkward than it would have been in the initial schedule, specifically where holidays are concerned.
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.
Per the government’s records, 106 cities/regencies in 11 provinces meet the criteria thus far, including those in Jakarta, all of the provinces in Java, and Bali. As things stand, 8.8 million out of 26.8 million children in the age bracket nationwide will be eligible for the jab starting tomorrow.
The Sinovac vaccine, which is overwhelmingly the most administered vaccine type in Indonesia thus far, is the only one to have received regulatory approval for use on children aged 6-11 in the country. The Health Ministry said the vaccine will be exclusively used for children starting next year.
The vaccine will be administered in two doses with a 28-day interval in between. Community clinics, hospitals, and vaccination centers will commence with the vaccination of children starting tomorrow, with the hope that schools and orphanages would soon facilitate vaccinations too.
