By: Restu Pertiwi*)
The current phenomenon in Indonesia shows that booster vaccines and health protocols are the main protection in the face of rising Covid-19 cases in Indonesia. Especially with the new variants of Covid-19, namely BA.4 and BA.5 which dominate up to 81 percent of the Covid-19 variants in Indonesia, people must comply with health protocols and get boosters.
As said by Prof. Wiku Adisasmito as the Head of the Expert Team and Government Spokesperson for the National Covid-19 Handling, the whole community must continue to protect themselves with high discipline on health protocols and hurry to get booster vaccines. Wiku said that President Joko Widodo had also emphasized the importance of wearing masks wherever he was, which was conveyed by President Joko Widodo after the Eid al-Adha prayer, on July 10.
Based on the data and facts that the authors found, it shows that people who do not follow health protocols properly and correctly will be easily re-exposed, even though they have received a booster vaccine. The discovery of reinfection after being vaccinated or called breakthrough infection can occur in all people, especially vulnerable populations.
Regarding vaccination, in principle, it has three major benefits, such as preventing exposure, preventing health deterioration when exposed, and reducing the number of viruses in the body so that they are not easily transmitted.
However, of the three benefits, it turns out that the two benefits of the vaccine that are felt when someone is infected can also confirm that a person who has been fully vaccinated, even a booster does not guarantee that he will be 100 percent protected and immune from Covid-19.
Based on routine socialization from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), after the announcement of the emergency use authorization (EUA) that the average efficacy during clinical trials never reached 100 percent perfect. Even for vaccines for other diseases though. WHO itself has set the percentage of the ideal efficacy rate for vaccines that are suitable for use is 50 percent.
However, the public need not hesitate and be afraid of booster vaccines because in Indonesia all existing vaccines have efficacy above 50 percent so that all existing vaccines are guaranteed to be effective.
In addition, Muhammad Tito Karnavian as the Minister of Home Affairs asked the Family Welfare and Empowerment Movement (PKK) to pay attention to the increase in Covid-19 cases. The reason is, the increase in Covid-19 cases is not only happening in Indonesia, but also in several other countries. Therefore, the movement to use masks needs to be echoed again.
Tito added that efforts to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic in the midst of an increase in cases of high exposure can rely on 2 main strategies, namely moving back the use of masks in open and closed spaces and accelerating booster vaccinations for people who have not received them.
The author agrees with the Minister of Home Affairs that by carrying out a booster vaccination after receiving the first and second doses of the complete vaccine followed by wearing a mask, it can maintain the level of immunity and extend the period of protection.
To carry out these 2 main strategies, Tito asked the PKK to participate in distributing masks, encouraging people to get booster vaccinations, campaigning while collaborating with the government to implement booster vaccinations. This was done to help anticipate the increase in Covid-19 cases in Indonesia.
In addition to the PKK which intensified the movement, the Cianjur Health Service also intensified booster vaccinations and complete vaccinations to anticipate the spread of the new variant of Covid-19. Known from dr. Irvan Nur Fauzi as the Head of the Cianjur Health Office, so far the booster vaccination target has reached more than 45 percent, while the second dose has reached 90 percent of the target of 1.6 million recipients in Cianjur.
Based on the information obtained by the author, vaccination services at health care centers are still carried out every day with sufficient vaccine availability, although currently vaccination is not centralized and is carried out in bulk, but the increase continues every week.
Even for the availability of vaccines in Cianjur pharmacy warehouses, reaching 50 thousand doses, including in a number of health service centers, so the Cianjur Health Office urges residents who have not received complete vaccinations to visit the nearest health service center.
Regarding the patient who was reported to be positive for Covid-19 some time ago, now he has recovered so that since the last two weeks, Cianjur has returned to zero cases. The Cianjur Health Office hopes that the pandemic will end soon so that life can return to normal.
As with Cianjur, the author finds that the number of Covid-19 cases