The full vaccination coverage is below the national average of 35.5 percent in just 5 out of the 34 provinces in Indonesia, according to the COVID-19 Response Task Force.

“The national full vaccination rate currently stands at 35.5 percent,” chief of the task force’s expert team, Wiku Adisasmito, said in a press conference streamed on the National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s YouTube channel in Jakarta on Thursday.

The five provinces where the full vaccination rate is below the national average are Lampung (20.76 percent), North Sulawesi (28.81 percent), Southeast Sulawesi (20.31 percent), North Maluku (17.5 percent), and Papua (17.56 percent), Adisasmito said.

According to the task force, the number of Indonesian citizens who have received their second COVID-19 jab touched 76,687,750 as of Thursday, an increase of 858,560 compared to the previous day.

The number of residents who have received their first COVID-19 shot also rose by 876,343 to touch 122,852,096, it said.

Meanwhile, 1,150,748 healthcare workers have so far received their third or booster vaccines, it added.

Overall, the government is seeking to administer both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to 208,265,720 residents to build herd immunity.

“To that end, I appeal to all governors, mayors, and district heads not to be inattentive despite the controllable (COVID-19) condition. It is important to read the data and see the situation in the respective region consistently, not only when the number of cases spike, not only when the number of cases spikes but also when the curve of cases flattens,” Adisasmito said.

The downward trend in COVID-19 cases in the country since August 2021 must be maintained through adherence to the health protocols, contact tracing, and vaccinations, he added.

Source: Antara News