Unused Vaccines for the Elderly

While the elderly are experiencing difficulties in getting vaccinated, the death rate of people aged 60 years and above is the highest among all other age groups.

Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan

A vaccinator injects a vaccine into an elderly person during a Covid-19 vaccination at RW 21 East Pamulang, South Tangerang, Banten, Sunday (25/7/2021).

After a long wait, the parents of Monika (not her real name) were finally vaccinated against Covid-19 in early August. Monika’s parents received unused vaccines from the supply allocated for the Golkar Party in Klaten regency, Central Java. Coincidentally, Monika was one of the health workers on duty to administer the vaccine.

Monika is a health worker at a Puskesmas (community health center) in Klaten. Although she has been assigned several times as a vaccinator, she faced difficulties in helping her parents to get vaccinated. She also witnessed many younger people getting vaccinated first.