Jakarta, The Indonesia Post – The Minister of Communication and Information, Johnny G. Plate on Saturday advised the public to continue to carry out booster vaccinations and not be picky about the type of vaccine, because all available vaccines serve the same function to provide self-protection from the COVID-19 virus.
“The vaccine will protect us from more severe symptoms of illness, and reduce the mortality rate. Therefore, we prioritize vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with comorbidities, to immediately complete the vaccination and get a booster,” said Johnny G. Plate in a press release.
“For other age groups, don’t be careless. By protecting yourself through vaccination, we also take care of those closest to us, including those who have a higher risk,” said Johnny G. Plate.
Johnny emphasized that all vaccine brands are safe and effective in reducing the risk of being infected with COVID-19.
“There is no need to be picky about vaccines. For those who have met the requirements, immediately get a booster vaccination according to the existing directions,” he said.
As of March 12, 2022 for national vaccination, 72.50 percent of the total vaccination target has received the complete dose.
However, only about 7 percent of the total 208,265,720 target people have done boosters.
Government Spokesperson Reisa Broto Asmoro explained the importance of having a booster vaccination after completing the primary dose of vaccine.
“Why do you need a booster? This is because immunity or the body’s resistance, namely the antibodies formed by the primary vaccine, will decrease so that it can no longer provide optimal protection. Therefore, a booster injection or a third injection is needed so that the number of antibodies can rise again and provide optimal protection again,” said Reisa.
She explained that post-vaccine antibodies cannot be injected only once for a lifetime or last forever.
“This booster is carried out as long as the antibodies are still in the body, so make sure you have completed 2 doses of primary vaccine or 1 dose for the Jansen vaccine before doing the booster,” Reisa continued.
Meanwhile, for residents who have not completed the second dose of the primary vaccine for more than 6 months, the first dose of vaccination must be repeated because the antibodies formed in the body are already too low or missing. For those who have to repeat from the beginning, they can use a different type or platform of vaccine from the original vaccine.
Reisa also emphasized that all vaccine brands used in Indonesia are safe, so people should not hesitate.
“Until yesterday, a total of 356,266,389 vaccinations have been carried out and so far all of them are safe. Meanwhile, if there are AEFIs that appear, they can be handled properly,” she added.
Various brands of vaccines are used for booster doses, said Reisa, not to make people choose certain vaccine brands, but to adjust them to the availability of vaccines in each region.
“So this is used as a guide for the mix-and-match of primary and booster vaccine brands and adjusts to the available vaccine deadlines,” She said.
This is also in line with the government’s optimization of maximizing planning in terms of logistics and vaccinators, as well as retribution to areas in need. (mhn/bbs)
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