Jokowi receives second booster vaccine dose

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) received the second COVID-19 booster vaccine using the domestically produced Indovac vaccine and encouraged more residents to get their second booster vaccine if eligible and needed.

"Today, I have just received my (second) booster vaccine," the president stated at the Bogor Palace, West Java, Thursday.

The head of state noted that 205 million first vaccine doses, 172 million second vaccine doses, 66 million first booster vaccine doses, and 730 thousand second booster vaccine doses had been administered, as of today.

The president said that physical immunity against COVID-19 would be bolstered with the second booster vaccine dose.

"It could also stop person-to-person COVID-19 infection. The vaccine I received today is the Indovac vaccine, 100-percent domestic-made," he noted.

The Indovac vaccine has received an emergency use authorization from the national Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

Meanwhile, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that receiving the booster vaccine had become more urgent amid the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases recorded in several hospitals.

"Some 74 percent of the COVID-19 cases requiring hospitalisation, due to medium to severe symptoms, are yet to receive their booster vaccine. In the COVID-19 fatality cases, some 84 percent of them did not receive their booster vaccine dose. We encourage residents to get their booster vaccine promptly," Sadikin stated.

The minister noted that only 66 million out of the 234 million vaccination targets had received their booster vaccine.

"We urge health workers and the elderly above 60 years of age to receive their second booster vaccine, and they are encouraged to use the Indovac vaccine, as it has high efficacy at par with foreign-made vaccines," he noted.

Moreover, Minister of State-owned Enterprises Erick Thohir said that the ministry is committed to maintaining self-sufficiency in the healthcare sector, including in the production of COVID-19 vaccines.

"Along with the health ministry, we are striving to continue to address more diseases that require the vaccine, and we will continue developing vaccine technology (in companies) under the ministry, particularly under the Bio Farma company," Thohir remarked.