The COVID-19 Handling Task Force of Bangka Belitung (Babel) Islands Province reported that 1,137,824 residents, or 78.93 percent of the target recipients in the province, had received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

“Along with the Indonesian Military (TNI), National Police (Polri), and related institutions, we continue to rev up COVID-19 vaccinations to increase our COVID-19 vaccination coverage,” coordinator for the distribution of vaccines at the COVID-19 Handling Task Force of Bangka Belitung Islands Province Dr Bangun stated here, Wednesday.

Bangun explained that based on the latest data, the second dose of vaccination in the province had reached 60.34 percent of the targeted recipients, which is higher than the national second dose vaccination coverage of 54.76 percent.

Meanwhile, he confirmed that the third dose vaccinations for health workers in the province had reached 93.14-percent coverage.

Bangun stated that coverage for the first dose vaccination among public service officers was the highest, reaching 142.39 percent. In contrast, the elderly constituted the group, with the lowest first dose COVID-19 vaccination coverage at 67.35 percent.

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

According to data provided by the Health Ministry, as of January 5, 2022, nearly 167,226,243 citizens had received their first COVID-19 jab, while 114,822,604 are fully vaccinated against the virus.

The Ministry of Health had earlier announced that the booster, or third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, will be rolled out for the public from January 12, 2022, targeting districts and cities where vaccination coverage had reached 70 percent for the first dose and 60 percent for the second dose.

Source: Antara News