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By: Edwin Harahap
The fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccination will be given again to Indonesian people, and vulnerable groups will be prioritized. Vulnerable groups include the elderly (elderly) and health workers. The average elderly has comorbidities so that they are included in the vulnerable category. Meanwhile, health workers are prioritized because they are at high risk and often come into contact with corona patients.
Vaccination is a way to avoid corona, apart from being disciplined in complying with the 10M health protocol. Initially, the complete vaccination consisted of 3 injections, namely the first, second, and booster doses. However, a second booster will be added so that a total of 4 doses enter the body, and protects against any variants and subvariants of the Covid-19 virus.
The second booster vaccine is available but for the time being it is prioritized for vulnerable groups. Doctor Pandu Riono, an Epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia, stated that there are two main groups that need to get a second booster, namely health workers and the elderly. Those who are important get (boosters) because health workers are the frontline in health services, while the elderly are at high risk (getting corona).
The community supports the priority of vulnerable groups in administering the second booster vaccination because the elderly must be prioritized. First, they have congenital diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, etc. Second, the average elderly have lower immunity. Therefore they must get the second booster vaccine before other age groups.
If there are elderly people at home, their children must accompany them to get a booster vaccine. To do this, download the Protect Protect application, then a schedule will appear as well as an invitation for a second booster vaccine. Bring the cellphone containing the digital invitation to the nearest hospital that provides vaccinations, then the elderly will be injected with a vaccine and get additional immunity, and avoid corona.
Meanwhile, health workers (health workers) are also prioritized to get the second booster of the Covid-19 vaccine, because their work carries a very high risk. It could be that you are dealing with corona patients every day, and even though you are wearing a complete mask with PPE, you are still at high risk. The reason is because energy and thoughts are continuously used while working at the hospital, and added to overtime when the number of patients increases.
The work environment in hospitals is also at high risk because there is not only the potential for the Covid-19 virus, but also other viruses and bacteria. Therefore it is natural that doctors, nurses and other health workers are given the fourth dose of the corona vaccine injection before the general public.
The second booster is needed to increase the body’s immunity. The injection is given 4-6 months after the first booster to increase the body’s resistance, because after that time the protection against corona tends to decrease. To increase it, a booster vaccine injection is needed.
Don’t just be satisfied with the first booster, especially if you only get 2 vaccines. It could be that the elderly forget to check the vaccination schedule (because they are a bit senile). Therefore, their children or grandchildren must remind and accompany them to get the second booster vaccination.
Booster vaccines are different from the first and second doses of vaccines because they are only given half a dose. This is to minimize the side effects of vaccination such as sore arms, fever, frequent drowsiness, hunger, etc. As for booster brands, you also need to consult with your doctor, because for those who are injected with the Sinovac vaccine (in the first and second doses) the boosters can be different from those injected with Pfizer or other brands.
Meanwhile, doctor Andi Khomeini Takdir Haruni, SpPD, stated that Indonesia had started its first booster vaccination in August 2021. According to several studies, the body’s antibody level against the corona which was triggered by the Covid-19 vaccination had decreased eight months after administration. Therefore, the second phase of the booster vaccination is given in stages, starting at the end of May 2022.
According to doctor Andi Khomeini, there are several groups that are prioritized in administering the second dose of booster vaccines besides health workers. The first is the elderly who are over 50 years old. The injection is given 4 months after the first booster. The second is people who have moderate to severe immune disorders, and are over 12 years old.
However, in practice, booster vaccines are only available for the elderly and health workers. The general public understands this because they do have a very high risk and lower immunity than ordinary people. They are patiently waiting for the government to give a second booster vaccination for all Indonesian citizens over 6 years old.
The community supports the second booster vaccination, aka the fourth injection, so that it is more immune from the ferocity of Corona. The reason is because currently there are many new variants and subvariants of the Covid-19 virus such as XBB and Centaurus. Giving the second booster vaccine is prioritized for health workers and the elderly because they have a high risk. While the average elderly have congenital diseases, so they must be boosted so that they are free from corona.
)* The author is a contributor to Pertiwi Institute
