By Mohd Shukri Ishak
JAKARTA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has commended Indonesia’s commitment to expediting and optimizing its national vaccination program as part of the endeavors to end the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to WHO Immunization Officer for Indonesia, Olivi Silalahi, Indonesia is one of the countries with successful vaccination programs.
Silalahi was quoted by Antara News Agency as saying Indonesia was ranked second among the world’s most populous nations to have vaccinated citizens against COVID-19.
More than 17.7 million Indonesians have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while more than 11.1 million people have completed their immunisation process by receiving a second dose.
Indonesia started its vaccination programme on January 13, using Sinovac, AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines.
Indonesian government is targeting to vaccinate more than 40 million people against COVID-19 in the first and second phases of the national vaccination program, prioritizing healthcare workers, public service officers, and senior citizens.
The inoculation of public service workers, including teachers and senior citizens, is still underway in several parts of the country that has a population of 270 million.
— BERNAMA