The Jakarta provincial government has announced its target of administering the booster shot to about eight million of the capital city’s residents aged 18 years and above.
“Booster vaccination is for those in the age bracket of 18 years and above, with priority being accorded to the elderly and residents with comorbidity,” Head of the Jakarta Health Office, Widyastuti, remarked here on Wednesday.
Currently, the distribution of booster vaccines in Jakarta is still being conducted gradually to meet the eight-million target.
“On the first day (of the booster vaccination), we will use the existing doses at the government’s facilities, such as health centers,” Widyastuti affirmed.
The health centers managed by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police also support the vaccination program.
Widyastuti affirmed that health centers at the sub-district level already offer booster vaccination, albeit with limited quotas and different operating hours, as well as adjust to the vaccination implementation for children aged 6-11 years and for the general public.
The requirement to get the booster shot is the issuance of a “third” ticket that can be checked on the PeduliLindungi app.
Another prerequisite is that the booster shot participants should clear health checks. Moreover, people about to receive the booster shot must have already obtained the second dose of vaccine at least six months ago.
“This is a new aspect, but we regulate the mechanism. Some health centers have invited (residents to come for the booster shot), while others require pre-registration,” she elaborated.
The government has provided the third dose of COVID-19 vaccine for all Indonesian people for free.
The booster shot is deemed important to increase the people’s immunity on account of the COVID-19 virus continuing to mutate.
There are five brands of vaccines for booster shots that are approved by the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) for emergency use: Sinovac/Coronavac, Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Zifivax.
Source: Antara News