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Indonesia to start vaccinating children as young as 6
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A health worker takes the blood pressure of a teenage girl during a vaccination drive in Denpasar, Bali, on July 2. The Health Ministry allowed children between 12 and 17 years old to get their COVID-19 shots starting July 1. (Antara/Nyoman Hendra Wibowo)
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s concerns mount over the threat of the Omicron variant, the government will begin inoculating some 26 million children aged 6 to 11 ahead of schedule, with the first jabs set to be administered on Tuesday.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin announced the plan on Monday as part of wider efforts to fend off the threat of Omicron. This came following instruction from President Joko “Jokowi" Widodo last week to accelerate vaccination for this age group.
So far, only 115 regencies and cities, out of a total of 514, are eligible to start the vaccine drive because they have administered the first jabs of the two-dose vaccine to at least 70 percent and 60 percent of their general population and the elderly, respectively.
These regencies and cities are located in 11 provinces, including all Java’s six provinces, Bali, East Kalimantan, Riau Islands, North Sulawesi and West Nusa Tenggara.
Health Ministry acting director for disease prevention and control Maxi Rein Rondonuwu earlier said the government has allocated 6.4 million doses of the vaccine produced by China's Sinovac for the inoculation of younger children in December.
Maxi said other regions were expected to gradually start the program next year.
Read also: Indonesia 'eager' to start vaccinating children as young as 5: Minister
