TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Surveys by Change.org Indonesia, Katadata Insight Center (KIC), and KawalCOVID19.id have shown that the majority of the respondents are not in support of the paid vaccination scheme which the government had once introduced a few months back.

The majority (70 percent) of sentiments against paid vaccines orbits around the socially unjust nature of the program for lower-economy society and is against the public right to receive vaccines amidst the pandemic.

“This survey result affirms public support that flows through petitions that are against paid vaccinations, including the ‘gotong royong’ scheme,” said Efraim Leonard, Change.org campaigner, in a statement on Wednesday, September 29.

He hopes the government can accept this public input and use it to improve future Covid-19 vaccination programs. Apart from deeming paid programs to be unjust for the poor (67.9 percent), another 53.5 percent survey respondents also believe it can potentially be mishandled for corruption.

The survey involved 8,299 respondents through online convenience sampling across Indonesia from August 6 - August 21, 2021.

However, the positive sentiments from a minority of respondents who tend to agree with the paid vaccination program believe it could be useful for the elderly group of people who have better economic status.

Read: Bekasi Holds Mass Vaccinations for Farmers and Fishermen

EGI ADYATAMA