IDNEWSNOW.COM, Jakarta – The Health Ministry needs an additional 58.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6 to 11 years.
“There are 26.4 million children aged 6 to 11 so we need an additional 58.7 million [doses of vaccine],” said Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin in today’s hearing with the Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR) broadcasted via the DPR’s YouTube channel.
Budi said the vaccines for children that have received the emergency use authorization (EUA) include Sinovac, Sinopharm, and Pfizer. “The doses of Sinovac and Sinopharm for children is the same [as for adults], but the doses of Pfizer [for children] is reduced to micrograms].”
According to him, the coverage target of vaccination for children in a number of countries reaches 50 percent. Budi added that the elderly group is more at risk of contracting the virus than the children group.
“The elderly group is at the highest risk at 12 percent, while children group is at the lowest risk at below 1 percent, or perhaps at 0.05 percent,” Budi explained.
When compared with the risk of hospitalization or death, Budi went on, the elderly group is about 20 to 30 times more at risk than the children group.
“In Indonesia, the risk is still quite low, at 40 to 50 percent. We indeed prioritize the vaccine for the elderly group to prevent the hike in cases,” he said.
Budi Gunadi said added that the need for additional COVID-19 vaccines for children has been included in the 2022 budget, including the purchase of vaccine boosters.
ANTARA
