Indonesia to launch campaign to push, but most will have to pay | Coronavirus pandemic News

Medan, Indonesia – Indonesia will officially launch a vaccination program on Wednesday, free of charge for the elderly and those without the means to pay, according to the Ministry of Health.

But the majority of Indonesia’s 270 million people have sparked controversy over the decision to pay developers out of their own pockets.

“Why did the government suddenly come up with the idea for the promoters? If the government is concerned about reducing antibodies, then it is fine with the pandemic, “Pandu Rio, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Indonesia, told Al Jazeera.

“But if it’s related to the pandemic, the vaccines should be free.”

The government has not yet confirmed the value of the shots to boost the vaccine, although estimates have been released online on the UNICEF Vaccine Market Dashboard, which lists the price of vaccines in different countries.

Potential prices are as low as $ 2.75 for an AstraZeneca shot for $ 23 for a Pfizer booster.

“Vaccines are said to cost around Rs. 300,000 in Indonesia ($ 21), but in practice, they can charge more at a private clinic, so the price could go up by 1 or 2 million ($ 70-140) per shot.” Alexander Arifianto, a researcher at the Indonesia Program of International Studies at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told Al Jazeera.

“Putting a price on the booster will add to the doubts of the vaccine. The more it costs, the more hesitant it will be for people to have it.”

Vaccine fights

The Indonesian vaccination program has already had its share of struggles, including slow expansion and problems with vaccine supply.

Since the campaign began on January 13 last year, only about 117 million Indonesians have been fully integrated, with more than 270 million people.

Most people have been given the Chinese Sinovac vaccine after Indonesia took part in the manufacturer’s final stages of testing.

There are also large ones discrepancies in vaccine coverage between different areas of the archipelago.

The populations of Jakarta and Bali are almost completely integrated, while areas such as Aceh and West Papua have managed to integrate only about 20 percent of the population, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

“I’m not sure the paid vaccination program will help Indonesia reach many people. Less than 50 percent [all] With Indonesia completely vaccinated, the government should encourage the rest of the population to get vaccinated first, ”Arifianto said.

With so many people still waiting for the most important foreground, “Indonesia will continue to be vulnerable,” he said.

He added that while it is a serious concern for people to pay for the promotion out of pocket, it is a more serious problem for the government to get the necessary vaccines.

“Middle-income nations like Indonesia have struggled to get vaccines like Moderna and Pfizer [the makers of those vaccines] They have given priority to countries that can pay quickly in advance, ”he said.

When the booster scheme was announced earlier this month, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told the media that Indonesia would need 230 million booster doses and that it now has about half that number in stock. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.

Mixed message

On Sunday, the Indonesian Food and Drug Monitoring Agency approved the use of Sinovac, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Zifivax, another vaccine made in China, for the promotional program.

Coronavirus cases are just one part of what happened at the peak of the Delta wave last July, but the government has advanced a nationwide promotion campaign amid concerns about Omicron. [File: Tatan Syuflana/AP Photo]

The next day, the ministry released an intricate set of instructions explaining how people could get a booster shot based on initial shots.

Unlike other countries around the world, Indonesia recommends continuing with only one product: people who have received two doses. Sinovac They said they could only have one Sinovac booster, those who got Moderna could only have Moderna and those who got Pfizer jab could only have Pfizer or Moderna booster.

Neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, meanwhile, have encouraged vaccine mixing and recommended that those vaccinated with Sinovac have a Pfizer or Modern mRNA booster.

Many countries around the world have also recommended a mixture of shots because it is believed to improve the immune response.

In December last year, a study in Oxford in the UK found that people a better immune response AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech received the first dose of the shots and nine weeks later Modern.

But the Indonesian promoters’ policy may be a reflection of the government’s availability and its difficulties with recruitment, analysts said.

“If the government can’t get enough vaccines, giving it only to priority groups like the elderly seems like a kind of vaccination rationing,” Arifianto said.

“It simply came to our notice then. It is a huge country with a large population and an irregular health structure. ”

Indonesia has reported more than four million cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic and nearly 150,000 deaths, the highest toll in the Asia Pacific.

And while current cases range from 400 to 500 a day – a part of the summit recorded last July – there are concerns about Omicron.

He has published a new survey @indikatorcoid 55% of Indonesians said they were opposed to the government’s vaccination program. It is likely to be caused by its costs (a significant percentage of which will be paid for by private physicians and private clinics) and a lack of information about the target population. https://t.co/4LPVMNeY8N

– Alexander Arifianto (@DrAlexArifianto) January 9, 2022

More than 150 people have confirmed that they have the most transmissible variant since it was reported in Indonesia last month. Most of the cases have been linked to international travelers entering Indonesia, but local transmission cases have also been detected in cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya and Medan.

Priority groups

The arrival of Omicron prompted the government’s decision to advance the start of the program, which was originally scheduled to be launched when vaccine coverage reached 70 percent.

But analysts are concerned that the existing vaccine program is likely to weaken further.

“Some may not need a rejuvenator, but they are worried that they will pay for it and use the vaccine,” Rio said.

“In some areas, people have not taken the first or second dose. The government should establish a rule that only 60% or 70% of the population can have a third dose in vaccinated areas.

“However, they should only be people from priority groups, such as people with the elderly and comorbidities, or those who have a direct relationship with the public.”

Glory Nainggolan is a student at Medan. The COVID-19 vaccine is fully integrated, but is concerned about its promotion. He believes that it should be saved for people who work in healthcare [Supplied]

In the city of Medan, a practicing Catholic priest, Fray Fernando, told Al Jazeera that he was still waiting to hear about a reinforcement shot. He preferred not to share his first and last name.

In the initial vaccination campaign, members of the clergy were given priority over public relations.

He said it was not clear who would qualify for a free vaccine this time.

“As far as I know, only health care workers are considered essential workers this time around,” Fernando said. The force effort for front-line workers, which began last July, means that as a result of the Delta wave, about 1.3 million people have had a third shot, most of them health workers.

Ahead of Wednesday’s campaign, the Indikator.co.id survey team found that 55 percent of Indonesians disagreed with the concept of reinforcing vaccines, and Arifianto said it could be due to the cost of a lack of clear public health messages.

In Medan, student Glory Nainggolan, who is fully vaccinated, told Al Jazeera that she was concerned about the impact of a third vaccine on her health.

“I think two vaccines are enough. I’m worried that if I have a third vaccine, the side effects will be very severe, “he said. “The side effects I had last time were much stronger after my second vaccine.”

“I don’t think it’s necessary for ordinary people and the promoters should be saved every day for health workers who are exposed to the virus.”