Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Indonesian government has started to conduct a COVID-19 antibody survey in every six months to determine the level of infection and immunity as one of the considerations in making policies in the future.

The antibody survey has been carried out in 34 provinces and 1,000 villages, said Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin at a press conference on the development of the COVID-19 pandemic situation here on Monday (Nov. 22).

The survey is a collaboration of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and universities that have epidemiologists.

The minister said the survey is expected to be completed in December 2021.

"We plan to do it every six months, so that we have basic control over future policy making," Budi said.

The antibody survey aims to identify antibodies that appear in the community in an area. These antibodies could be obtained from vaccination or attained naturally after being infected with COVID-19.

Budi also said that currently the government continues to boost vaccination rate for the elderly in all regions in the country.

Vaccination in this group has now reached 50 percent of the total target, with 12 provinces having exceeded 50 percent.

"Since the 50 percent vaccination rate has become a requirement to increase the level of PPKM (Community Activity Restrictions), vaccinations have covered more elderlies," Budi said.

Reporting by Indonesia Window