President Joko Widodo received his first dose of the vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday. (JG Screenshot)
JANUARY 13, 2021
Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo received his first dose of coronavirus vaccine at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday, thus kicking off the national vaccine rollout.
The president was injected with the vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech on camera. His vaccination took place after the Food and Drug Control Agency (BPOM) gave their seal of approval to the vaccine for emergency use.
Before the vaccination, Jokowi first had his blood pressure and temperature checked. The president also had to answer questions regarding his medical history and if he had symptoms such as coughs or fever. Presidential doctor Abdul Muthalib then injected the vaccine to Jokowi’s left arm.
“It doesn’t hurt at all,” Jokowi said.
Muthalib admitted he felt somewhat nervous when injecting the head of state.
“But I managed to vaccinate the president without any pain. Everything went smoothly. There was no bleeding on the injected spot,” he said.
Once vaccinated, Jokowi had to wait for 30 minutes to check any unwanted reactions.
Officials such as National Police Chief Idham Azis and Indonesian Military Commander Air Chief Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto also received their first shot at the State Palace.
Four-Table System
The vaccination program runs on a “four table” system.
The health worker first calls the vaccine recipient to the first table for registration and verification.
The recipient will then move to the second table for medical screening for comorbid conditions. They will also have their temperature and blood pressure checked.
The third table is where the vaccination takes place.
Last but not least is the fourth table where the recipient will receive a vaccination card. Recipients have to wait for 30 minutes after the vaccine is administered to monitor possible side effects.
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