A social media star/singer in Jakarta has become the subject of controversy after she was vaccinated against COVID-19 when jabs are currently exclusive to health workers.
Helena Lim, a Jakarta resident who has garnered a respectable following on social media, where she often flaunted her immense wealth, recently posted a series of videos on Instagram showing her and her friends receiving their shots at a community clinic in West Jakarta.
“Hopefully, after getting vaccinated, we can go anywhere. Hopefully the vaccine works,” Helena said in one video.
Helena’s posts enraged many in Indonesia, who accused her of jumping the vaccination line due to her financial status and privilege. She has set her profile to private amid the controversy.
Following the online uproar, West Jakarta Mayor Yani Wahyu Purwoko said Helena was eligible for the vaccine because she owns a drug store. The Health Agency in West Jakarta also said that Helena was in possession of an official letter stating that she is a health worker as she financially supports a drug store.
However, the Health Ministry said today that Helena should not have received the vaccine as only actual workers at drug stores, not their owners, are currently eligible. There has been no proof provided that Helena herself worked as a certified pharmacist at her store.
City officials are investigating whether or not Helena should have been legally eligible for the vaccine. It’s not yet known what sanctions, if any, she could face if she were ruled to have jumped the line.
