Ma'ruf Amin Won't Join Jokowi to Get Sinovac Covid-19 Vaccine Today

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo would receive his first dose of Covid-19 vaccine this morning at 09:30 local time, January 13, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, according to the Presidential Secretariat. He will get a vaccine shot developed by Sinovac, a Chinese biopharmaceutical firm.

The Presidential Secretariat Head, Heru Budi Hartono, said First Lady Iriana would not get the first vaccine this morning. “Only the president with various elements of society, including representatives of nurses, religious leaders, business actors, and traders,” he told reporters today.

Jokowi would get the shot by the Presidential medical team and would be broadcast live via the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel.

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, meanwhile, would not join the vaccination today. “Because the VP is over 60 years old. So he can't be vaccinated using the current available vaccine of Sinovac,” said a spokesman for the Vice President, Masduki Baidlowi, as quoted from Antara on Tuesday, Jan. 6.

Presently, Indonesia has only the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine available for people around 18-59 years old. The vaccine had been granted the emergency use authorization (UEA) by the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) and halal certified by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

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DEWI NURITA