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TNI gears up personnel to support future vaccination drive

Some 845 personnel participated in the training of trainer (TOT) program being conducted by the TNI on Thursday.

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, December 18, 2020

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TNI gears up personnel to support future vaccination drive TNI commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto said the program was part of the military’s contribution to the nation’s pandemic-mitigation efforts. He also expected the participants would gain the needed skills to become coordinators for the vaccination program in military areas. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic)

In order to prepare for the forthcoming vaccination drive across the country, the Indonesian Military (TNI) is preparing its personnel to help carry out the task.

Some 845 personnel participated in the training of trainer (TOT) program being conducted by the TNI on Thursday. The training aims to increase the participants’ knowledge about the vaccination process so that they will be able to contribute to the government’s program.

During the opening ceremony for the training, TNI commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto said the program was part of the military’s contribution to the nation’s pandemic-mitigation efforts. He also expected the participants would gain the needed skills to become coordinators for the vaccination program in military areas.

He went on to say the vaccine would be administered to health workers who worked on the frontline, followed by officials who monitored health-protocol implementation among the public, which comprises the TNI and the National Police personnel.

“We also have to prepare the necessary facilities and infrastructure, such as storage, safekeeping and distribution pipeline to every health facility, as well as preparing the aforementioned facilities to conduct the vaccination program as stipulated in the existing regulations,” Hadi said as quoted by kompas.id on Thursday.

Read also: BPOM to extend monitoring stage of Sinovac vaccine trial for next three months

Indonesia received its first consignment of China's Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 7. The first batch of 1.2 million doses is currently being stored in a warehouse belonging to state-owned pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma in Bandung, West Java.

Bio Farma has confirmed that the vaccine will be priced at around Rp 200,000 (US$13.57) per dosage when it becomes available for the public.

The company’s president director, Honesty Basyir, stated that the price was based on a recent email from Sinovac Biotech.

However, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo announced on Wednesday that the vaccination drive will be made free of charge amid criticism from the public regarding the assertion that the government would only fund a third of the population targeted in the program.

In an official video published on Wednesday, Jokowi also stated that he would be the first Indonesian to receive the vaccine shot in order to reassure the public that the vaccine is safe to use.

"After receiving much input from the public and recalculating the financial state of the country, I would like to inform you that COVID-19 vaccines will be free for all people. Once again, it will be free of charge," he said.

Read also: Indonesian Military deployed for coronavirus fight

Following the President’s announcement, all ministries and government institutions, as well as regional administrations have been instructed to prioritize the vaccination program in their respective budgets for next year.

However, the government did not provide further details on a timeline or a list of vaccines that would be used in the country. There was also no mention of the number of people targeted in the vaccination program.

“The decision was very recent, there still needs to be further discussions on the planned vaccination program,” the Health Ministry’s spokesperson on COVID-19 vaccine affairs, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, told The Jakarta Post in regard to inquiries related to the program details. (dpk)

Editor’s note: This article is part of a public campaign by the COVID-19 task force to raise people’s awareness about the pandemic.

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