TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Molecular biology and vaccine expert Dr. Ines Atmosukarto in a virtual seminar on Wednesday highlighted the issue of paid vaccine booster shots in Indonesia, arguing it is still too early to consider enrolling third vaccine shot unless the majority of Indonesia’s population have been fully vaccinated.

Citing Antaranews, the expert from the Australia National University argues “Booster [shots] cannot be a widespread program until the majority of Indonesians have already received the first and second vaccine doses.”

Atmosukarto also highlighted the vaccination scope discrepancy between major cities such as Jakarta and other regions outside of the Java Island that are still low. She believes the government must ensure recipients of the first and second dose vaccinations should be over 70 percent before even considering rolling out booster shots.

Citing data from the Health Ministry on September 29 shows 50,412,993 people in Indonesia have been injected with second vaccine shots, which is still far below the government’s initial goal to inoculate 208,265,720 (24 percent).

Acting director of health quarantine and surveillance, Prima Yosephine, said paid or free vaccine boosters have not become an official government policy but assured that it would be handed out freely if needed for people under the PBI category.

Read: 34 Percent Healthcare Workers Receive Vaccine Booster

ANTARA