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[COMMENTARY] Next government drive: Building vaccine confidence
As Tikki Pangestu, a visiting professor at Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, put it, one of the most important and significant barriers to improving vaccine confidence in Asia was the spread of misinformation, falsehoods and conspiracy theories.
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An elderly shows his COVID-19 vaccination card at SD 05 state elementary school in Penggilingan, North Jakarta on Feb. 25. Indonesia is targeting to inoculate some 21 million elderlies aged 60 and above and 17 million public service workers in the second phase of vaccination, which started on Feb. 17. (Antara/Fakhri Hermansyah)
A
s vaccination is our only option for beating COVID-19, the prospect of individually purchasing the vaccines offers a glimmer of hope that life can return to normal. It is expected that people will soon be able to buy the vaccines they need this month.
It is also hoped that Indonesia can quickly achieve herd immunity with the addition of the private vaccination program and reduce the burdens on its health system.
But how confident are Indonesians in COVID-19 vaccines?
The government says the private-sector vaccination program, dubbed Gotong Royong (mutual cooperation), will kick off after the vaccine supply has been distributed for inoculating public officials, the elderly and contribution aid recipients (PBIs) of the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan).
During a discussion with the chief editors of several national media on Feb. 17, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo acknowledged that the private sector had a crucial role to play in providing independent vaccine delivery. By involving private companies in the Gotong Royong program, the President hopes to ease pressures on the state budget and complete the mass vaccination program in less than a year.
What an ambitious target!
Indonesia began its vaccine rollout on Jan. 13, with Jokowi receiving the country’s first COVID-19 jab. The President got his second dose on Jan. 27.
