Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Jakarta provincial government has urged residents who have received the ticket for the third or booster vaccination to get inoculated without “vaccine shopping,” that is forgoing vaccines if they do not belong to their preferred brand.

The government is currently ramping up booster vaccinations to suppress a spike in cases amid the third wave of COVID-19, besides intensifying testing, tracing, and isolation efforts, head of the Jakarta Health Office, Widyastuti, informed.

“Currently, Jakarta is massively using the AstraZeneca vaccine for the third or booster dose because that is the type (of vaccine) that is available now. We encourage everyone not to be picky regarding the type or brand of the booster vaccine,” she said in a statement released here on Wednesday.

According to Widyastuti, all vaccines administered under the government’s booster vaccination program have been clinically tested and are beneficial for the immune system.

Most Jakarta residents who have received the booster dose so far took the Sinovac or AstraZeneca vaccines for the first and second dose, she informed.

“Therefore, for all the people of Jakarta, let’s take advantage of the opportunity and the current availability of vaccines in health facilities and vaccination centers spread across various regions. Let’s get vaccinated promptly, protect yourself and those around you,” the Jakarta Health Office head remarked.

The Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021, to boost community immunity against COVID-19. President Joko Widodo was the first vaccine recipient under the program.

According to data provided by the Health Ministry, as of February 9, 2022, nearly 187,493,596 Indonesians have received their first COVID-19 jab, 133,233,609 have received the second jab, while 6,221,942 have received the third or booster dose.

The government commenced booster vaccinations for the general public on January 12, 2022.

Source: Antara News