The people can also assist senior citizens in accessing vaccination centers, monitoring their health status and protecting them from vaccination-related hoaxes. According to data from Oct. 8, 2021, of 21,553,118 targeted senior citizens, 31.74 percent have received first shots and the other 20.99 percent have received both shots.

The Health Ministry’s COVID-19 vaccination spokeswoman, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said during a discussion held on Thursday that the senior citizen vaccination program had been carried since mid-March, right after vaccination for medical and public officials was completed. She also confirmed that the senior citizen group was one of the top priorities in the COVID-19 vaccination program.

“To speed up the vaccination program for the elderly, the government has made the senior citizen vaccination rate a significant contributor that could affect a region’s level of public activity restrictions [PPKM],” she said.

However, she went on, the program had also faced obstacles such as mobility, in the form of physical limitations and transportation cost, among other things. Therefore, she added, the government had deliberated and provided easier access to the vaccination service for senior citizens. Another obstacle was the presence of vaccination-related hoaxes or false information. In this case, she said, related stakeholders, including religious figures and other society members were expected to play a role, especially in campaigning and educating senior citizens.

Riau Islands Governor Ansar Ahmad, who also participated in the discussion, highlighted the need for easier access to vaccination for senior citizens. He went on to say that the administration provided a door-to-door vaccination service, in cooperation with various parties, including neighborhood units (RT) and community units (RW).

“As the province is entering PPKM level 1 status, we are going to reorganize senior citizens activities such as Quran reciting groups. We could conduct the vaccination drive during the occasion. This has been our proactive strategy, all must be done to meet the target,” he said.

As suggested by the name, Riau Islands’ geographical condition has posed a huge challenge in the local administration’s effort to accelerate the vaccination drive. Therefore, the local administration cooperated with the local military and police forces, as well as the prosecutors’ office and other related stakeholders to comb the islands to find senior citizens.

“The senior citizen vaccination program must be carried out with a specific strategy, so they want to receive the shots. Vaccination literacy has been among the strategies. We have also encouraged people to take their senior citizens to get vaccinated,” Ansar said.

He went on to say that currently, 63.28 percent of targeted senior citizens in the region had received the first shot and 42.88 percent of them had received both shots.

To make senior citizens interested to take part in the vaccination program, senior actor and public figure Slamet Raharjo said there was a need to build a new mindset in senior citizens that getting vaccinated early in the vaccination program was a privilege, and therefore senior citizens could become role models for the younger generation.

“Getting vaccinated is our chance as senior citizens to help the government in its effort to tackle the virus. This has been our service for the country,” he said.

According to an internist, who is also a vaccinologist, Dr. Dirga Sakti Rambe, people over 60 years old are considered to be senior citizens. This age group, he went on, was more likely to experience severe symptoms or die from COVID-19. Senior citizens account for 46 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in Indonesia.

Dirga also clarified that the idea that senior citizens did not need to be vaccinated because of their old age and they stayed at home most of the time was false. On the contrary, these senior citizens are in dire need of vaccination due to the high risk, so they should be prioritized in getting the health protection.

In relation to the need for a third shot (booster) for senior citizens, Dirga said “From a medical perspective, booster vaccines are an inevitability as people’s immunity tends to drop over time. However, since the vaccination rate in Indonesia remained low, we will still need to focus on expanding the reach of the vaccination program.”

Therefore, the government has tirelessly encouraged people to keep pushing and assisting senior citizens to get vaccinated. Being vaccinated would not only provide self-protection but also prevent them from becoming a source of infection.

Popular

Thirteen dead after blast during military ammunition disposal

Govt considers restricting cassava, tapioca imports

Nearly 700 buildings in Jakarta lacking fire safety equipment