By Jabbar Abdullah*
Prevention of the corona virus is still a top priority for the government, both central and regional governments. Various efforts were made to save people from the virus from Wuhan.
When the Corona virus was first confirmed in Indonesia in January 2020, the government had thought about various prevention efforts, one of which was to form and activate a Rapid Action Team in the territory of the state entrance authority, both airports and ports that became State Land Border Post.
At that time, along with the increasingly massive spread of Covid-19 in Indonesia, the government thought of other efforts to save its people, including mobilizing health personnel, TNI and Polri as the vanguard to fight the Corona virus according to its main function.
The government has begun bringing in vaccines to deal with the Covid-19 problem. Our country strives to manage vaccination starting from funding, procurement and distribution, including the relationship and elaboration between ministries and agencies, which is carried out comprehensively.
This is also in accordance with what was mandated by President Joko Widodo in Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 99 of 2020 concerning Vaccines Procurement and Implementation of Vaccinations in the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic which was signed on October 5, 2020.
Efforts to procure vaccines have been carried out by the Indonesian Minister of Health together with the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for State-Owned Enterprises so that Indonesia can gain access to Sinovac.
Sinovac is a Chinese drug company that is developing a new corona virus vaccine called CoronaVac. This vaccine is a type of corona vaccine used in Indonesia.
Sinovac uses the method inactivated to kill the virus, so that their coronavirus vaccine does not contain live or weakened viruses. Sinovac has conducted a clinical trial stage to ensure its safety.
In the effort to procure vaccines, the Government of Indonesia really takes into account the safety factor of the vaccine itself, especially in the clinical trial process of vaccines. This was all done to save the people from the possible risks that could occur.
Indeed, the Sinovac vaccine is not the best way out, but the effort to procure a vaccine is the current Government’s best effort to protect and nourish the people.
Since January 13, 2021, the government has started vaccinating Covid-19 with the Corona Sinovac vaccine. Indonesia currently has 3 million doses of Sinovac vaccine and it has been distributed to 34 provinces.
In Indonesia alone, researchers are developing a Red and White Vaccine using an Indonesian virus strain. However, the homeland vaccine is expected to be ready in early 2022.
So, for the time being the government is using the Sinovac vaccine for the mission of saving its people from the corona virus.
To note, vaccination is not a cure for Covid-19. However, it is a government preventive effort to protect the public from Corona virus infection.
Therefore, it is important for all elements of society to support the vaccination efforts carried out by the government and not to spread hoax news that can make people afraid and hesitant to be vaccinated.
Because the Sinovac vaccine has received an emergency use permit from the Indonesian Food and Drug Administration (BPOM). In addition, the MUI has also determined that the Covid-19 vaccine produced by Sinovac Lifescience is holy and halal.
However, even after receiving vaccinations, the community should still adhere to health protocols. Because until now there has been no research that can say how long this protection lasts.
It is possible that the antibody level has decreased over several months. But keep in mind that the immune system has B cells with memories that can store Corona virus information for years or even decades.
Therefore, vaccine recipients should still follow applicable health protocols such as washing hands, doing social distancing, wearing masks, not touching faces with hands, as well as staying at home as much as possible and away from crowds.
Hopefully the vaccination program carried out by the government will run smoothly, so that the Covid-19 pandemic will end quickly and people can do activities as before.
*) The author is a policeman serving in Polda Aceh.
–
