Vaccination Coverage in Indonesia Has Exceeded WHO Target

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set target for every country to vaccinate at least 40% of the population by the end of 2021 and 70% by mid-2022. 

With the first vaccination dose coverage of 62.5% and the second dose reaching 40.4%, as of November 14, 2021, Indonesia has exceeded the target set by the WHO. 

"Indonesia managed to achieve it faster than the WHO target," said the Spokesperson for COVID-19 Vaccination of the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, Monday (15/11/2021) as quoted from an official press release. 

Vaccination for the elderly. (Photo: Ministry of Health)

Based on data from the Ministry of Health, as of Monday (15/11/2021) at 12.00 Western Indonesia Time, vaccination coverage in the country has reached 215.17 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

About 130.62 million people or 62.72% of the 208.2 million targets had received the first dose and more than 84.55 million or 40.60% had received the second dose. 

Furthermore, around 1.19 million people or 81.11% of the target had been given the third dose or booster for health workers.

"This achievement is the hard work of all nation's components as the vaccination organizers and also the participation of all Indonesian people who are willing to be vaccinated," said Nadia. 

With an additional 4 million doses of Sinovac vaccine that arrived on Saturday (13/11/2021), the number of COVID-19 vaccines that have arrived in Indonesia reached 342.5 million doses total, either in finished form and raw materials or in bulk.

Nadia appealed to the public not to have doubts about the existing vaccines, no need to choose a vaccine brand, and immediately use the currently available vaccines. 

"The government guarantees that the vaccines given to the community are safe, quality, and efficacious," she said. 

Vaccines, Nadia added, make the body relatively more resistant to viruses, can avoid severe symptoms, hospitalization, and reduce the risk of death. 

"However, [vaccines] will not make a person 100 percent immune to viral infections, so they can still be infected and transmit. For those who have been vaccinated, they must continue to carry out the 5M health protocol," she concluded.