Padang, W Sumatra (ANTARA) - The West Sumatra provincial government held a mass vaccination campaign to target 250 thousand students of high schools, vocational schools, and education facilities in the area to accelerate the achievement of youth vaccinations.
"The mass vaccination for students aims to accelerate the achievement of youth vaccinations, which are still low in West Sumatra, as well as to make face-to-face learning possible," West Sumatra Deputy Governor Audy Joinaldy stated at the launch of the program at the State High School 6 Padang on Tuesday.
Currently, the first dose of vaccination for adolescents in West Sumatra reached only around 4.5 percent, while the second dose is even lower, capped at around two percent, he stated.
The provincial and district governments are required to make efforts and offer encouragement in order to accelerate achievement of the youth vaccination rate. One example of this effort is apparent from the vaccination campaign conducted by the West Sumatra provincial government.
After being launched offline at the State High School 6 Padang, all districts and cities in West Sumatra will commence the vaccination program in accordance with the region's technical readiness.
Joinaldy emphasized that the current vaccine stocks in West Sumatra still sufficed to meet the vaccination requirements, so district and city governments need not harbor concerns, as they can host as many vaccination programs as possible.
"If the stocks in the district or city are falling short, please contact the West Sumatra Health Office directly. We will immediately send it according to the needs," he clarified.
Joinaldy also compelled vaccinated students to invite their friends to get inoculated too. Thus, face-to-face learning can be recommenced at the earliest.
In fact, he also appealed to parents or guardians of students to participate in vaccination programs with their children in the mass vaccination program.
"Please, parents, who want to be vaccinated, may come along with their children to school to get vaccinated. All will be served by the available officers. If later it turns out that the vaccine is lacking, we will supply it again from the province," he noted.
Joinaldy expects this step to boost vaccination in Padang, so that the level of community activities restriction would decrease from level 4 and enable students to return to study, albeit with some limitations.
Chairman of Committee V of the West Sumatra Regional House of Representatives Mukhlis Yusuf Abit lauded the West Sumatra provincial government for hosting the vaccination event for these students.
Abit deemed the vaccination as being the most logical effort to control the COVID-19 pandemic, thus calling for it to be supported by various parties.
"The Regional House of Representatives fully supports this program and hopes that the vaccination rate in West Sumatra would increase significantly," he remarked.
However, he reminded the vaccinated participants to continue to follow health protocols daily to prevent transmission of the virus.
Head of the West Sumatra Education Office Adib Alfikri remarked that all those studying in high school, vocational, and special schools in the province partook in the vaccination for students.
"The implementation of vaccination also requires permission from the parents of the students. We hope that no one refuses, so that the vaccination rate would be achieved as soon as possible, and face-to-face schooling can also be started," he remarked.
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