TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The COVID-19 Mitigation and National Economic Recovery Committee (KPC-PEN) chairman, Airlangga Hartarto, confirmed the government had mapped out the priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination.

Airlangga explained the stage of the priority would be based on the vaccine availability, population, and areas at risk of virus transmission, stages of use, and usage index.

The immunization, meanwhile, would be based on the priority groups with the high risk of virus transmission and those with vital functions in providing public services and playing strategic roles.

“Groups prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccination include first, front line people in the COVID-19 mitigation such as health workers and contact-tracing paramedics, as well as public service officers such as military personnel, police officers, and other law enforcement personnel totaling 3.4 million people with the need of 6.9 million doses,” said Airlangga in a virtual press conference on Monday, October 12, 2020.

The second priority group includes religious and community leaders, local authorities in sub-districts, villages, community units (RT/RW), and economic players amounting to 5.6 million people with the need of 11 million doses.

The third priority group comprises educators, starting from teachers in early childhood institutions, kindergarten, elementary schools, junior high schools, senior high schools, up to university lecturers. The number hits 4.3 million individuals with the vaccine need of around 8.7 million doses.

As many as 2.3 million state apparatus in central and regional administrations, as well as legislators, are listed in the fourth priority group with the need of 4.6 million doses.

The fifth priority group consists of members of the Health Social Security (BPJS Kesehatan) whose fees are subsidized by the government totaling 86 million individuals. This group needs some 173 million doses.

The sixth priority group for COVID-19 vaccination is the general public aged between 19-59 years old with the need of 115 million doses. Thus, there will be 160 million people who will get the vaccine first, and so the government needs to prepare a total of 320 million doses of the vaccine.

Read: Govt Preps Management of COVID-19 Vaccine Priority Recipients: Moeldoko

DEWI NURITA