TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Booster doses offers best hope for mitigating new COVID-19 wave
The science and the latest statistics prove that getting a booster dose offers more benefits than risks.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
A student receives a COVID-19 booster dose during a vaccine drive on July 13, 2022 at SMAN 1 Klaten state senior high school in Central Java. (Antara/Aloysius Jarot Nugroho)
T
he recent increase in COVID-19 cases has forced the government to retighten the mobility restrictions to contain the virus’ spread. The government now seems to believe that focusing on its booster drive will provide enhanced and long-lasting protection against other infections in the future.
While the World Health Organization recommends a minimum 50 percent coverage rate for booster doses, the rate in Indonesia is less than 25 percent, according to Health Ministry data.
To achieve the WHO benchmark, a booster dose is now required for people to enter public spaces, such as hotels and shopping malls. Domestic travelers must also show proof of having a COVID-19 booster dose, otherwise they must undergo predeparture testing. The mandatory booster requirement for traveling is stipulated in a Transportation Ministry decree on domestic and foreign travel requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, which took effect on July 17.
The domestic travel requirement to have proof of getting a COVID-19 booster was part of the government’s efforts to meet the WHO recommendation, Health Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Syahril told a virtual press conference on July 11.
Unfortunately, vaccine hesitancy has slowed the booster rollout. The ministry has admitted that a large number of fully vaccinated people are reluctant to get a booster, which is why the booster coverage rate has stagnated in recent months.
The ministry’s data show that booster doses are being administered at an average rate of 400,000-500,000 doses per day. This is far lower than the average rate in the March-April period, when the government required a booster for mudik (exodus) travel during Idul Fitri. In the June-July period, less than 400,000 doses were administered per day.
Among the reasons behind the hesitancy is that some people believe that getting two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine is enough to protect them from infection. Meanwhile, others refuse to get a booster dose from concerns about potential risks and side effects.
