Marabahan, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Barito Kuala (Batola) Health Agency has begun to administer the COVID-19 booster vaccine or the third dose using the Moderna vaccine, Monday (August 23, 2021).
As many as 209 of the total 867 health workers, who provide direct services, such as community health centers (puskesmas), hospitals, pharmacies, health clinics, and others, have received the third vaccine.
“The third dose vaccination starts from August 16 to 26, 2021, and is gradually administered to 867 health workers in Batola,” said Head of Health Agency dr Hj Azizah Sri Widari on the sideline of the vaccination a the front of the agency's office.
She explained that the third dose vaccination was carried out in stages, in addition to avoiding crowds, so as not to interfere with operational activities at community health centers and other health facilities.
According to the instruction of the Ministry of Health, the Moderna vaccine is prioritized for health workers who directly serve the public, but it does not include the general public, although the vaccination services for the public continue.
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She admitted that there was a shortage in vaccine supply which had caused the slow in the implementation of vaccination for the target public. In fact, she said, the enthusiasm of people in Batola to be vaccinated is quite high.
Separately, the Head of Disease Control and Eradication (P2P) of the agency Dwi Korawati said that the vaccination target in Batola is 244,000 people.
As many as 26,414 people (10.8 percent) had received the first dose of the vaccine and 18,055 of them (7.4 percent) had received the second COVID-19 vaccine shot.