The government’s vaccination strategy, including its booster expansion plan, is considered among the key pillars to mitigate the threat of the Omicron variant, which has already spread to more than 90 countries since it was detected last month, as it plans to keep the current curbs unchanged unless certain thresholds are passed.

Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said the government would soon amend some of its regulations to allow booster shots be given to the public.

“The government is working to soon issue a revision of a presidential regulation and a health ministerial regulation [to facilitate the rollout of] booster shots,” said Airlangga in a press briefing on Monday.

The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) had already started the process to authorize emergency use of the Sinovac, AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines, Airlangga said. He went on to add that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had instructed that Indonesian-made vaccine Merah Putih should be considered for booster shots.

Booster shot rollout plan

In a hearing with lawmakers last week, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the rollout of booster shots for the public would begin in January, earlier than the initial plan in response to Omicron outbreaks around the globe. So far, only health workers have been authorized to receive booster shots in the country.