TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Vaccine alone not enough
Change Size
T
he mass vaccination that kicked off on Wednesday may mark the start of a journey toward ending the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, but while optimism runs high and hopes abound, there should be no room for complacency.
Before rolling out the inoculation program, which it is estimated will take 15 months, the government had called on the public for consistency in complying with the health protocols even after they get vaccinated. Adherence to the mandatory mask wearing, handwashing and avoiding crowds is needed more than ever now, after the country logged a record 11,557 in new single-day positive cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of infections closer to the 870,000 mark.
In his statement after receiving the vaccine, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo asked the nation to stick to the basic rules as the defense mechanism against the disease. According to the plan the mass vaccination will target over 180 million of the country’s population of 270 million to achieve herd immunity. Each subject will need two doses of vaccine, which will be administered at an interval of 14 days before he or she develops immunity.
In the case of Indonesia, which has chosen CoronaVac from China’s Sinovac Biotech, it remains to be seen how long the vaccine will protect recipients from the virus or whether it will spare them the new strain of COVID-19, which reportedly is more easily transmitted.
There are still many things we do not know about the virus, which is why suggesting that vaccines are the much-awaited panacea of the health crisis is a grave mistake. Between now and April 2022, when the mass vaccination is slated to be complete, many things may happen.
The news that celebrated influencer and prominent TV show host Raffi Ahmad was caught partying with his friends without wearing a mask or maintaining physical distance hours after he had been vaccinated in the morning is regrettable. In doing so he sent the wrong message that vaccination justifies violations of the health protocols.
Raffi was quick to apologize to the public, saying he had squandered the government’s trust. A number of celebrities and influencers with millions of followers on social media have been listed among the first citizens to receive the vaccine as part of the government’s bid to boost public confidence in the program.
The police plan to question Raffi and those present at the party, which may include PT Pertamina president commissioner, and former Jakarta governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, as news of the alleged breach of the COVID-19 protocols went viral. In fact the party took place when Jakarta was implementing public activity restrictions (PPKM) or social curbs to contain the spread of the virus.
Whether the police will strictly enforce the law as they did when arresting firebrand cleric Rizieq Shihab and sending deputy speaker of Tegal legislative council Wasmad Edi Susilo to court, the country’s efforts to win the COVID-19 war hinges on its consistent implementation of the protocols.
The rising curve of infection after more than 10 months of the pandemic speaks volumes about the low compliance with preventive mechanisms.
