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The social dilemma of booster vaccines in Indonesia
The rationale of the vaccine booster program can be understood as countries are eager to restore normal life.
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Priority jabs: A senior citizen is given a COVID-19 vaccine jab by a nurse during a vaccination drive held in Banda Aceh recently. (JP/Courtesy of the Banda Aceh Health Agency)
T
he government is weighing the possibility of a paid booster jab scheme amid uncertainty over how long the current vaccine immunity will last and fears of a looming third wave of COVID-19, especially as the more infectious Omicron variant is spreading.
The program is very appealing, especially for COVID-19 survivors. In a survey by Indikator Politik Indonesia, 53.9 percent of respondents said they would refuse to pay for a vaccine booster, while 34.2 percent would be willing to pay. The remaining 12 percent either did not know or did not answer.
However, the government has stated the booster will be available to the public at large only when the fully subsidized mass vaccination program is finished, which is expected to happen early next year.
Many have responded to the government’s plan with skepticism. They worry about getting infected before the booster jab program even starts, partly due to the economy reopening and the approaching holiday season.
Indonesia recorded the highest single-day death rate for three days in a row from Aug. 18 to 20 when the Delta variant fueled a second wave of the pandemic here. Before the Delta variant struck, Indonesia was regarded as one of the slowest countries in responding to the pandemic as shown by hospital overcapacity and people's frustration.
The general public, particularly COVID-19 survivors, deem the booster as their best hope. They are even more anxious after finding studies suggesting the efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine, which most Indonesians received, might wane after six months. The crisis has been exacerbated by a lack of clear and consistent policy communication, which has prevented the public from fully understanding the risk of contagion.
The government has gradually put the pandemic under control, but public distrust remains as can be seen in people taking their own preemptive measures in the face of a third wave, including the phenomenon of wealthy Indonesians taking boosters abroad. This raises a social dilemma, as on one hand support grows for the vaccine booster campaign, but on the other hand it may widen the vaccination gap and affect vaccination coverage.
