Govt Yet to Rollout Covid Vaccination for Children, Health Ministry Confirms
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16 November 2021 21:45 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Health Ministry spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi announced that the Covid-19 vaccination program for children aged 6 - 11 has not begun, which corrects the statement from another state official who claims children’s vaccinations have begun in Papua.
“We have not started [the program] to this day,” wrote Siti Nadia in a text message to Tempo. This denies the claim from Human Development and Culture Coordinating Minister Muhadjit Effendy who said the otherwise on a government website.
Minister Effendy made the statement after visiting the Covid-19 vaccinations held at the Jayapura District on Saturday. Effendy’s earlier statement announced in the ministry’s official website www.kemenkopmk.go.id reads “We have now started to vaccinate children aged 11 and younger,” has now been taken down.
Tempo's request for clarification to Minister Muhadjir via Whatsapp has yet to be responded to.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin in an online press conference on Tuesday, October 26, said the government is still studying the possibility of a 6-11 year old vaccination rollout before the end of this year. Vaccines from Sinovac, Sinopharm, and Pfizer will first have to obtain emergency use authorization.
Read: KPAI Urges Health Ministry to Accelerate Covid-19 Vaccination for Children
DEWI NURITA
