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At risk of exposure to coronavirus, immigration officers get COVID-19 vaccination
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hen it comes to groups of people at risk of contracting the coronavirus, immigration officers must be one of them, as they are in direct contact with foreign nationals entering a country.
It comes as no surprise, therefore, that immigration officers in Jakarta have become one of the target groups in the COVID-19 vaccination program to ensure they are protected against the disease.
“The immigration officers face a great risk of exposure to COVID-19 despite their adherence to health protocols, including wearing personal protective equipment (PPE),” said Anggakara Arya Pradhana, head of public relations and general affairs at the Directorate General of Immigration.
He went on to say: “For that reason, the COVID-19 vaccination is what we are seeking to boost a group or herd immunity, because the more people get vaccination, the more people are protected,” he said.
Angga noted that immigration officers provide services for the public every day, including examining passports and conducting checks on foreigners in immigration control areas at airports, seaports or border posts.
The COVID-19 vaccination program was implemented at Graha Pengayoman of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights in Jakarta, with most immigration officers joining the program.
Held from March 12 to 13, the program was divided into several sessions to prevent crowding at the vaccination site.
The vaccination program was aimed at officers from the Central Office of the Directorate General of Immigration, from the immigration detention house and immigration officers in DKI Jakarta.
On the first day of the vaccination program, 914 officers of the Directorate of Immigration were scheduled to get the vaccine. The vaccination program for the immigration officers was implemented along with civil servants of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.
“Due to the limited space and to avoid crowding, the vaccination program is divided into several sessions,” Angga said.
Most of the officers that got vaccine shots were those who provide services and check passports and immigration documents, which puts them in direct contact potential carriers of the virus. The remaining officers also include administrative and honorarium personnel.
The government has rolled out the highly anticipated COVID-19 vaccination drive, with President Joko Widodo receiving the first vaccine dose on Jan. 13 to mark the start of the country’s mass COVID-19 inoculation program.
