Surabaya Ensures Adequate Vaccine Stocks for Children Aged 6-11 Years-old

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Surabaya city government has ensured that the stocks of COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6-11 years is relatively safe.

"By God's will, the stock is safe. During the two days of child vaccination, there were no reports of Post-Immunization Accidents (KIPI) from the Surabaya Health Service," Head of the Public Relations Division of the Surabaya City Government Febriadhitya Prajatara stated on Saturday.

Prajatara explained that in the event of a report on KIPI, the school along with the local health center would take immediate action. This is since each school has provided consultation services through the local health care.

"After being vaccinated, children had to wait first for KIPI or other symptoms. However, the school and the local healthcare prepared for appropriate KIPI handling," he added.

Meanwhile, during the two days of vaccination for children aged 6-11 years in each school, several factors had hindered the implementation of the first dose of vaccination, including for children, who had just received immunization and could not receive the COVID-19 vaccine, were in poor health condition, such as suffering from cough and fever, and parents with a busy schedule and cannot take their children to the vaccination.

Hence, a rescheduling will be done for children unable to take vaccinations. The scheduling will be arranged by each school accompanied by the local health care on duty, he informed.

Prajatara remarked that the Surabaya city government is targeting the first 246 thousand doses for vaccines for children aged 6-11 years.

Out of the targeted figure, tens of thousands of doses of the first dose of vaccination were administered to children aged 6-11 in the last two days.

As of December 15, some 18,668 doses were administered, or some 72 percent of the targeted 25,000.

"For the second day, on December 16, our target was 20,000 doses, but we only achieved around 13,788, or 67 percent from the target set," he explained.

He noted that based on data on general vaccination achievements in Surabaya, over 118 percent of the first dose had been successfully injected while that for the second dose had reached 100 percent.

This means Surabaya's residents are particular about their health, especially for forming herd immunity to suppress the curb of COVID-19.

"This showed that Surabaya residents have realized the importance of health, especially against COVID-19 transmission. Through massive vaccination, we are optimistic of herd immunity being immediately formed in Surabaya," he concluded.

Read: Indonesia Starts Covid-19 Vaccine Rollouts for Kids 6 to 11 Years

ANTARA