Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Transportation Ministry and the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) launched a mass vaccination program at the ministry’s human resources development center (PPSDAMP) in Semplak, Bogor District, West Java on Saturday.

“The President has instructed us to actively carry out vaccination programs. We have been doing the programs intensively in several places, including Merak Port and Indonesia Aviation Polytechnic Curug (Tangerang), and in Bogor today. Bogor, which has more than 5 million population, has become one of our vaccination targets to help create herd immunity in Greater Jakarta (Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Tangerang-Bekasi or Jabodetabek) area,” Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said in a statement released on Saturday.

The two-day vaccination program, which ends Sunday (August 8, 2021), is targeting five thousand people, aged 12 and above, from local communities around Bogor district, the minister said.

Health workers from the ministry, defense forces, and regional Health Office have been deployed to conduct the program, he added.

The ministry and the defense forces have also handed out essentials to local transportation drivers as well as communities around the district, he informed.

On Saturday, the minister also visited the self-isolation center at PPSDAMP and distributed locally grown fruits to health workers, as part of the 6th National Fruit campaign.

“I encourage the public to consume local fruit to maintain our health. Through this movement, we expect it will increase our local fruit production which will help to accelerate national economic recovery,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Regional Military Commander of Regional III Siliwangi, Major General Nugroho Budi Wiryanto, said: “We have to work together to overcome the pandemic.”

“The vaccination program is expected to increase the number of people participating in vaccinations,” he added.

Source: Antara News