Pressure Grows to Reach Vaccination Target

KOMPAS/DEONISIA ARLINTA

Kalman (50), the Baduy indigenous community, prepares to get the Covid-19 vaccine at the Ciboleger Terminal, Lebak, Banten, Thursday (14/10/2021). It is targeted that 200 Baduy people get the Covid-19 vaccination. Indigenous peoples are one of the vulnerable groups that are prioritized for Covid-19 vaccinations.

LEBAK, KOMPAS—Efforts to accelerate the nationwide COVID-19 vaccine rollout is facing greater hurdles. A strategy must be devised to achieve the vaccination target and reach potential recipients who live in outer and remote regions.

According to data from the Health Ministry, 104.8 million people have received the first jab and 60.7 million people have been fully vaccinated with two doses. Tougher challenges lie ahead to achieve the inoculation target of 208.2 million people.

“There is a different degree of difficulty in reaching the remaining 100 million people. Before, we could simply open vaccination centers for people to visit. However, the remaining [unvaccinated recipients] are located in areas where the distribution process is more complex,” Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Thursday (14/10/2021), during an inspection of the COVID-19 vaccination program for the Baduy indigenous people in Lebak regency, Banten.

The government has targeted vaccinating 181.5 million people by the end of January 2022, with a separate vaccination target to follow. Indonesia reportedly ranks fifth in the world for first dose vaccination coverage.

Also read:

> Giving Third Vaccine Dose as ‘Complement’

> Time to Accelerate Vaccination

In addition to distribution issues, sociocultural differences also pose a challenge to accelerating the nationwide vaccine rollout. Indonesia’s vast territory comprises a variety of cultural backgrounds, with each region and tribe taking a different approach.

The ministry’s acting director general of disease prevention and control, Maxi Rein Rondowunu, said that the COVID-19 vaccination strategy had been expanded to rely not only on vaccination centers, but also community organizations.

Cooperation across ministries, institutions and local communities was needed to reach all vaccine recipients. In addition to collaborating with the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police, the vaccination program has also directly approached families through the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN).

“We are working with the Social Affairs Ministry to call on residents to get vaccinated and to provide social assistance, too,” he said.

KOMPAS/ADITYA PUTRA PERDANA

A health worker injects a vaccine in one of the residents, during a Covid-19 vaccination held by the Djarum Foundation with the Semarang Regency Government, Central Java, at the Gotong Royong Building, Ambarawa, Tuesday (28/9/2021).

Another challenge that persisted was the limited number of trained vaccinators. More health workers were needed to reach people in remote areas, because the vaccines cannot be administered en masse and local awareness of the vaccine program must be developed beforehand.

“Lack of understanding about vaccines is hindering the rollout,” Maxi added.

Also read:

> Speed Up Vaccine Coverage

> Control, the Key to Living with Covid-19

Maytri, the head of the Cismeut community health center (Puskesmas) in Lebak, Banten, said that approaching indigenous communities to inform them about the vaccine program was no easy feat. It was difficult for people to understand how COVID-19 was transmitted and how getting vaccinated would benefit them. As regards indigenous communities, especially the Baduy people, they believed that special prayers and rituals using traditional ingredients would protect them from the disease. Meanwhile, they had a greater risk of contracting COVID-19 because the Baduy traditional community was a tourist destination that saw many external visitors.

“Traditional [leaders] are key to persuading these communities. It is usually easier for indigenous people to comply if their customary head leads them,” Maytri said.

Anticipating caseload spike

Maxi said that various efforts had been made to anticipate a spike in new COVID-19 cases that could trigger a third wave of infections. These included restricting community mobility, enforcing the health protocols and increasing surveillance at points of entry.

“The quarantine procedures will be updated through a task force circular. Overseas travelers must undergo a five-day quarantine period, with the condition that they are fully vaccinated,” he said.

Communications and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate said in a press release that the government was preparing to anticipate a spike in COVID-19 cases ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays through several measures, including following up lax health control compliance during community activities with strict case handling.

It is when the number of active cases is low that we need to boost vaccinations, especially for the elderly and the vulnerable

These efforts were complemented by accelerated vaccination of the elderly and other vulnerable groups living in urban agglomerations and economic growth centers.

“We cannot become slack about vaccinations. It is when the number of active cases is low that we need to boost vaccinations, especially for the elderly and the vulnerable,” he said.

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.