Booster vaccinations are among the mitigation measures that can protect all families from COVID-19 infection during Eid, government spokesperson for COVID-19, Reisa Broto Asmoro, has said.
In accordance with President Joko Widodo’s directives, seconded by the Health Minister on March 23, 2022, incomplete vaccination, or even forgoing booster vaccination can have a negative impact, she said during Siaran Sehat (Health Broadcast), accessed from here on Monday.
According to the results of a survey conducted by the Transportation Research and Development Agency of the Transportation Ministry, 80 million people could potentially travel during Eid this year.
This means that there would be many people gathering with their families or relatives, and therefore, anticipatory steps need to be taken to prevent the risk of serious illness, even death, among people, Asmoro said.
Among the people traveling to their hometowns, there would be many parents and children who might not have been vaccinated. Through the protection offered by the booster vaccination, everyone’s antibodies could be improved optimally.
In addition, it would be much easier for people to travel, because they would no longer need to furnish PCR or rapid antigen test results once they have received the booster vaccine.
Meanwhile, travelers who have received just two doses of the vaccine will still need to submit the results of an antigen test, and travelers who have received just the first dose will need to submit the results of a PCR test.
Booster vaccinations can assist in controlling the COVID-19 situation in Indonesia and keep the trend of positive COVID-19 cases low, Asmoro said.
She further said she expected the public to understand the benefits of booster vaccinations and immediately go to the nearest health facility to get their next vaccine shot, so that everyone can travel to celebrate Eid safely.
“This is part of mitigation; of course, we want to celebrate Eid this year in a good way. Not harming parents, wanting the case (tally) to go down, keep it declining and not rising up again,” she added.
Source: Antara News