JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo received the first injection of a China-made COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday after Indonesia approved it for emergency use and began vaccinating millions of people in the fourth. most populous country in the world.
After Widodo, senior military, police and medical officials were vaccinated, as well as the secretary of the Indonesian Ulema Council, the administrative body that last week ruled that the vaccine was halal and could be taken by Muslims. Others, such as a health professional, business people, and a social media influencer, were also given the photos to encourage people to get the vaccine when it is available to them.
“We need to do the vaccination to stop the chain spread of COVID-19 and provide us with health protection and the safety of all Indonesians. It will also help accelerate the economic improvement, ”said Widodo.
“This vaccine is the tool we can use to protect ourselves. More importantly, the vaccine is the tool to protect our family, our neighbor, the Indonesian people and human civilization, ”said Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin on Wednesday.
“This vaccine is given to achieve immunity to the herd. All 70% of the world’s population must be vaccinated to achieve that. The participation of all Indonesians will largely determine the success of this program, ”he said.
Conditional use of the Sinovac Biotech Ltd. vaccine is expected to be rolled out in the coming months, with health professionals, officials and other at-risk populations being prioritized. It will be free for all Indonesian citizens.
For Indonesia to vaccinate two-thirds of its population, 181.5 million people, Sadikin said the dual vaccine would require nearly 427 million doses, including the estimate that 15% could be wasted.
Distribution will not be easy in the vast archipelago, where transport and infrastructure are limited in places. Health officials have raised concerns about keeping the vaccine refrigerated at the required 36-46 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain safety and effectiveness.
“We know that the distribution of the cold chain is not complete. This is the obstacle, ”Sadikin said Tuesday. “The cold chain facilities are not sufficient, so we still distribute some of the vaccines. We are worried.”
Indonesia received its first shipment of the Sinovac vaccines on December 6 and began distributing the doses nationwide pending emergency use authorization. It was approved for emergency use based on data from clinical trials and after the Indonesian Ulema Council declared the vaccine canonized and halal.
Indonesia’s vaccination program is the first large-scale use of the Sinovac vaccine outside of China.
Indonesia has recorded more than 846,000 cases of the virus, including more than 24,600 deaths.
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The Associated Press Department of Health and Science is supported by the Science Education Department of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The AP is solely responsible for all content.