Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Banjarmasin Health Agency acknowledged that the COVID-19 vaccination for the elderly is still low, only 12 percent have been inoculated from the target of 55.720 people.
Head of the agency Machli Riyadi when contacted by Antaranews Saturday said that the vaccination for the elderly had started in March until four months running only 12 percent of the target was achieved.
The achievement of the 12 percent target is for elderly who have received two injections, their number is 6,684 people.
"Those who got just one jab are more. They are 7,814 people or 14.02 percent of the target," he pointed out.
According to him, Banjarmasin Health Office has made every effort to boost COVID-19 vaccination for the elderly, besides intensifying socialization in the community, it also held various kinds of mass vaccinations.
Among those that have been implemented, said Machli Riyadi, were gebyar pekan vaksinasi (the sparkling vaccination week), gebyar Jumat bervaksin (the sparkling Friday vaccination), places of worship became the targets, where many elderly were there.
The harder effort was even made, he said, giving a jab chance for young people but with the condition, they must bring two elderly.
"So we are intensifying these efforts, hopefully, this month there will be even more because the elderly are vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, so we appeal residents whose families are over 60 or pre-elderly over 50 to be brought to the nearest puskesmas (community health center), so they can get free vaccination," he said.
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Meanwhile, 120 percent or 7,937 health workers, of the target 6,590 people, have received the first dose, and 6,092 people or 92.53 percent have got the second dose.
As for public services, he said, were quite good with 83.19 percent or 50,486 people received the first injection and 64.90 percent or 39.391 people got the second from the target of 60,691 people.
Banjarmasin has received a total of 12,513 vials or equivalent to 125,130 doses of the Sinovac vaccine from China.
"We have used 11,278 vials or equivalent of 112,780 doses. Now the remaining stock is 1,235 vials or 12,350 doses," he said.
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