Vaccine Allotment Falls Short of Reaching the Elderly

In fact, although they receive a greater supply of vaccines, the police, military and private collaborators do not specifically identify the elderly as a priority vaccination target.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

A medical worker administers a Covid-19 vaccine to an elderly person at a community health center (Puskesmas) in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, on Tuesday (23/2/2021). Each day, the health center administers 20-50 doses of vaccines for elderly people. Health Ministry Covid-19 vaccination spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi said the current second phase of the vaccination drive was for public service workers and elderly people. In the case of the elderly, the first and second shot of the vaccine are given with a 28-day interval. For people aged 18-59, the vaccines are given with a 14-day interval. According to Health Ministry data, an additional 16,297 people received their first vaccine shots on Monday, bringing the total to 1,244,215 people. With the limited global supply of vaccines, the government prioritizes the vaccination of high-risk people to lower the mortality rate.

Elderly people are among the groups vulnerable to Covid-19 infection, but regional authorities seem to be ignoring the priority recipient policy in local vaccination drives. As a result, very few elderly people have been vaccinated.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS —Covid-19 vaccination coverage for the elderly is still far behind compared to other priority recipient groups such as health workers, civil servants and other social elements.