Day: October 29, 2021

Immunity against COVID-19 can be boosted by consuming a wide array of fresh fruits and vegetables and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, Indonesian Allergy and Immunology Association’s Chairman, Prof. Iris Rengganis, stated.

“Fresh vegetables and fruits offer protection if we get infected. People can boost their immune system by eating them every day,” Rengganis remarked during an ANTARA talk show “Nurturing Immunity Post-COVID-19 Vaccination” here on Friday.

According to the chairman, vegetables, such as broccoli, are rich in vitamins A, C, and E. Other alternatives, such as spinach, turmeric, and garlic, which are high in antioxidants, can be part of a healthy diet.

Rengganis also recommended incorporating seafood as part of a nutritious menu since it is rich in omega 3. The association’s chairman believes it should be followed by consuming fruits that contain vitamins and minerals.

“If we are not sure (about what) we can regularly eat, then we can opt for multivitamins, minerals, and other immunity boosters,” he remarked.

Immunity boosters can be more beneficial when supported by regular exercise and good stress management, he emphasized.

“The current conditions have triggered immense stress among people. (I suggest to) rest enough and not stay up late. Sometimes, we are on our mobile phones until late at night, although we have to wake up for work,” he noted.

Rengganis then invited people to abandon habits that can ruin their health, such as smoking and consuming alcoholic beverages.

He pointed out that a healthy immune system can ward off the entry of viruses and others into the body.

Body cells that are part of the immune system can function together in identifying objectionable entities and stimulating the B lymphocytes to produce antibodies.

Source: Antara News

Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR-RI) Puan Maharani supports the government’s plan to provide COVID-19 vaccines for children in the age bracket of five to 11 years.

Maharani noted that this step will expand coverage for citizens, who are protected from COVID-19.

“We are grateful that the plan to administer vaccines for children in the age bracket of 5-11 years has finally started. This is a good move because every citizen of any age has the right to be protected from COVID-19,” Maharani noted in her statement received here on Friday.

She emphasized that the Indonesian House of Representatives is ready to oversee the process of providing emergency use authorization (EUA) for COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5-11 years that is currently being carried out by the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

“However, the BPOM does not need to feel rushed, as vaccine safety must be a priority,” Maharani remarked.

The House speaker is optimistic that the clinical trial process would run smoothly in order to meet the target to provide vaccination in early 2022. Currently, three vaccine brands — Sinovac, Sinopharm, and Pfizer — are being clinically tested by BPOM for children aged 5-11 years.

She also urged the government to prepare various facilities to hold vaccinations for children aged 5-11 years while awaiting the permit process to use the vaccine.

“Health facilities and medical personnel must be prepared in all regions. Since the vaccine target is for children, the treatment must also be adjusted,” she added.

If vaccination for children goes smoothly, the nation’s educational system will return to normal, especially since the government encourages education units in regions with PPKM level 1-3 status to conduct limited face-to-face learning (PTM), Maharani emphasized.

“PTM learning for all educational units is absolutely necessary, so that our children, as the next generation, do not lose the quality of education. If all school-age children have been vaccinated, then offline learning can be conducted again at school,” she affirmed.

On the other hand, Maharani urged the government to accelerate the vaccination process for teenagers aged 12-17 years, which is still ongoing. She urged the school and parents to actively participate in ensuring that their kids are vaccinated as soon as possible.

“However, vaccines are not the only guarantee for children to be safe from COVID-19. Parents and teachers still have to monitor children to implement health protocols,” she said.

Source: Antara News

The Palangka Raya city government is expediting COVID-19 vaccination as a precautionary measure against the spread of the delta plus variant that threatens to increase the spread of the COVID-19 third wave in the city.

“Our current effort is to expedite vaccination. If the delta plus variant spreads, the Palangka Raya people have been vaccinated,” Head of the Palangka Raya City COVID-19 Task Force, Emi Abriyani, noted on Friday.

Several experts forecast additional COVID-19 cases, including exposure to the delta plus variant, to occur at the end of 2021.

“To this end, apart from accelerating vaccination, we also continue to monitor the implementation of health protocols among members of the community, government, and private parties that conduct joint activities,” Abriyani added.

Based on data from the COVID-19 Task Force until October 27, COVID-19 vaccination in the city had reached 78.12 percent for the first dose of injection.

Some 174,542 people out of the targeted 223,417 had been administered the first dose.

In connection with the second dose, some 56.91 percent of the targeted recipients or as many as 127,141 people had fully been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The vaccination target of 223,417 people was divided into five categories: 3,512 health workers, 14,287 elderly people, 21,920 from public service, 154,647 members of the general public, and 29,051 for those in the age group of 12-17 years.

Among health workers, 5,242 people have received the first dose of vaccine, 5,033 individuals have completed the second dose of vaccine, and 3,538 of them had received the booster vaccine.

Furthermore, for the elderly group, as many as 7,922 people had received the first dose of vaccination, while 6,744 of them had completed the second vaccine.

From the target for those in public services, 52,570 people received the first dose of vaccine and 45,989 people had completed the second dose

For members of the general public, 87,477 people were administered the first dose and 56,107 people received the second dose.

The last target for those in the age bracket of 12-17 years was 21,331 individuals vaccinated with the first dose and 13,268 people having received the second dose of vaccine.

Source: Antara News

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry readies anticipatory measures against forest and land fires during and after the La Nina nature phenomenon, in addition to preparing plans to mitigate hydrological disaster, according to Deputy Minister Alue Dohong .

“La Nina triggers excessive rainfall, but based on the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency’s (BMKG’s) analysis, despite La Nina, there are certain regions that experience drought. Hence, we must remain vigilant against forest and land fires during La Nina,” Dohong told a coordination meeting on La Nina here on Friday.

Indonesia has experienced a decline in the number of forest and land fire hotspots in recent years, he noted. In 2019, the nation recorded 1,649,258 hotspots, and the number dropped to 296,942 in 2020, and 229,978 this year, according to him.

The prevention efforts will be executed through climate analysis and intervention using weather modification technology when conditions become critical, he added.

He said his team is continuing to monitor daily weather situations, and BMKG would announce early warnings for forest and land fires.

The director general of law enforcement at the Ministry has been monitoring the hotspots located on concession lands and will broadcast a warning if a hotspot is detected in the zones, he informed.

Other than distributing information about the hotspots, the ministry will also keep track of hotspots in degraded peatlands that are more flammable, Dohong said. One of the preventive measures for fires involves wetting the peatlands, he informed.

“We must bolster efforts to monitor and verify hotspots intensively, especially in areas prone to fire,” he affirmed.

Patrols will also be intensified in January-March 2022 in Aceh, North Sumatra, Riau, and West Kalimantan, he said.

Enhanced patrols will be carried out in Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, and parts of South Kalimantan in April-June 2022, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile, in August-October 2022, patrols will be focused on all areas vulnerable to forest and land fires.

Source: Antara News

The United States Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) has downgraded Indonesia to Level 1 (low) category in terms of its COVID-19 situation, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto has informed.

“With Indonesia entry’s into Level 1 or low from the CDC, it means that the hard work of our government has shown results and appreciated by international agencies,” Minister Hartarto said on Friday.

According to information accessed on the CDC’s official website, the agency is still urging people traveling to Indonesia to get fully vaccinated. It has also laid down other requirements such as wearing masks and keeping a two meters distance from others.

Hartarto, who is also chairman of the Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery (KPC-PEN), said the government will ensure the availability of vaccines and their safety.

As of October 28, 2021, Indonesia has received more than 300 million doses of vaccine, either in the form of raw materials or bulk.

KPC-PEN data shows the daily vaccination rate in the country has touched 2 million per day. As of Friday, the total national vaccination reached 189.6 million, with 117.6 million first doses (56.51 percent of the target) and 72 million second doses (34.6 percent of the target) administered.

Based on the supply and low vaccination rate on the weekends, the target for complete vaccination in December 2021 has been set at 281.1 million, as long as the vaccination rate increases consistently from 1.7 million per day in October 2021 to 2.1 million per day in December 2021, Hartarto noted.

The government is indeed continuing to intensify the COVID-19 vaccination program and push vaccination coverage in the regions, the minister stated.

President Joko Widodo has directed that vaccine stocks be distributed as soon as possible to the regions to help the vaccination program run smoothly, he added.

“The Indonesian government has also implemented a mandatory vaccine policy for Indonesian people who want to travel, in an effort to suppress the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” Hartarto said.

Source: Antara News

Indonesia on Friday received a total of 6.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in three shipments from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac.

“Today’s arrival added Indonesia’s (vaccine) supply in both finished form and raw materials to a total of 312,335,760 doses,” the Health Ministry’s COVID-19 Vaccination spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi said in a written statement received here the same day.

The batches were Pfizer’s 105th shipment (1,263,600 doses), AstraZeneca’s 106th batch (1,336,200 doses), and Sinovac’s 107th batch (4 million doses), she informed.

All of these vaccines were delivered in the form of finished vaccines and obtained through direct purchase schemes, she added.

According to Tarmizi, the arrival of additional vaccine stocks in Indonesia is expected to accelerate vaccinations and help the nation anticipate another wave of COVID-19 infections.

The Pfizer shipment was immediately dispatched to various regions for bolstering vaccine programs in areas with low vaccination coverage, she said.

The Pfizer vaccines that arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport are meant to be delivered to four health offices: Banten, Bengkulu, West Nusa Tenggara, and Lampung, she added.

While the vaccine doses that landed at Ahmad Yani Airport, Semarang, would be distributed to Central Java Province Health Offices, Tarmizi said.

Vaccines arriving at Juanda Airport in Surabaya would be delivered to East Java Province Health Offices, she informed.

“The supply of COVID-19 vaccines has continued to arrive as the government has increased the vaccination targets of regions. Vaccines are ready and available, so there is no reason to delay vaccinations,” she affirmed.

Tarmizi expressed the hope that vaccinations would help prevent a third wave, saying vaccinations are one of the main protections for Indonesians against COVID-19.

By receiving vaccines, people can get more protection and reduce the risk of severe illness and other ill-effects if exposed to COVID-19, she added.

“We hope that herd immunity will be formed soon as the government is targeting 208 million people to be vaccinated,” she said.

Source: Antara News