Deputy Minister of Health (Wamenkes) Dante Saksono Harbuwono said there was a chance that Indonesia would implement the program Corona virus vaccination (Covid-19) continued or booster fourth if future analytical studies show empirical evidence.
However, the policy for the fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine injection will not be implemented in the near future because the government is still focused on completing the primary vaccination program for doses one and two which are scheduled to be completed in June 2022, as well as in parallel with the third booster vaccination program.
“If it is necessary later with studies that we continue to evaluate, it turns out that we need a fourth booster, it is not impossible that the fourth booster needs to be done. But now what we have to pursue is that we must carry out equal policy,” said Dante in an online event, Wednesday (23/2).
Dante reminded that there are still a number of residents who have not received the second or even the first dose of vaccine. Vaccination achievements as of Wednesday (23/2) at 12.00 WIB, as many as 190,092,902 people have received the first dose of injection. Meanwhile, 141,806,330 doses of people have also completed receiving two doses of vaccine injections.
Thus, the government’s vaccination target of a total target of 208,265,720 people has touched 91.27 percent of the vaccination target who received the first dose of injection. Meanwhile, the second dose of injection was only at 68.09 percent.
He also added that the booster program was given with the aim of additional protection after the results of the study showed that during the 3-6 month period after receiving the primary vaccination, the protection people received decreased.
“After the primary vaccination is complete, then we are targeting it to be completed in June. Then we will evaluate it with clinical trials, epidemiology, [apakah] we need a fourth booster. It is not impossible that a fourth booster is needed, but now is not the time to do a fourth booster,” he said.
(khr/wis)
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