COVID-19 – Indonesian president to get first vaccine shot on Jan. 13

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo will get the first shot of vaccine followed by his ministers to start the country’s COVID-19 vaccination on January 13, 2021, according to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

The vaccination will also be carried out throughout the country’s 34 provinces on the same date, the minister said at a coordination meeting on preparations for the COVID-19 vaccination and enforcement of health protocols in 2021 at the Home Affairs Ministry here on Tuesday (Jan. 5).

Minister Budi Gunadi called on local administration heads to follow the vaccination process to make people trust the COVID-19 vaccine.

As health workers will get the first priority, he asked the regional administration heads to involve health figures, including doctors.

The Health Ministry’s spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi said the ministry has yet to issue schedules for COVID-19 vaccination using the vaccine made by Chinese Sinovac Biotech.

She said that the ministry would only issue a COVID-19 vaccination schedule using the Sinovac vaccine if the National Food and Drug Agency (locally known as BPOM) has granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

“The schedule will be issued by the Health Ministry as this is a national vaccination. We are waiting for an emergency use authorization from BPOM,” Siti Nadia said.

Earlier, the health minister set a target of vaccination for 67 percent to 70 percent of the population or about 181 million people to bring up herd immunity against the coronavirus.

Since January 4, 2021, the government has been distributing the Sinovac vaccine to the 34 provinces.

Reporting by Indonesia Window