By: Savira Ayu)*
Vaccination is an absolute requirement in the face of a pandemic. Corona vaccine is given up to 3 doses (booster) to enhance the body’s immunity. Especially when Corona cases rise again, booster vaccinations can contain the ferocity of this virus. The more people who get boosters, the better, because group immunity will be formed, and suppress Corona cases in Indonesia.
The pandemic has been happening for more than 2 years but Corona is still in Indonesia. Even recently, Covid-19 cases have increased again and the number of patients has reached 4,710 people per day (data as of August 27, 2022). This increase is certainly worrying, because Corona cases had dropped and only hundreds of patients per day. However, because of the Covid-19 virus, the Omicron Subvarian Centaurus variant, the number of Corona patients has soared again.
To prevent an increase in Corona cases, the public must remain disciplined in implementing health protocols and vaccinations up to 3 times or boosters. If you have been vaccinated with a booster, your body’s immunity will be more perfect, so you are not easily infected with Corona. Covid-19 cases can be controlled and the number of patients can be reduced to 0 per day, and the pandemic will end.
The Government Spokesperson for the handling of Corona, Doctor Reisa Broto Asmoro, stated that the public must immediately booster vaccines to deal with the increase in Corona cases in Indonesia. In mid-2022, the booster vaccination coverage is still 22% (only 48 million Indonesians have been fully vaccinated). Even though the vaccination coverage for the second dose is more than 80%. Public awareness for injecting booster vaccines must be increased. Society cannot be healthy alone but healthy for all.
There are still many people who think that with 2 vaccines they will be safe from Corona. Though the booster is also important to increase the body’s immunity. To increase the coverage of booster vaccination, public awareness must be increased. The way is other than direct education (door to door) or looking for the nearest hospital or private party to boost.
If all Indonesian citizens over the age of 18 have been boosted, the vaccination coverage will reach more than 60%. Thus, herd immunity will be formed. The pandemic status will end quickly and turn into endemic. This immunity is needed to control the increase in Corona cases, and to fight the Covid-19 virus, the Omicron variant and other variants.
To suppress the rate of increase in Corona cases, the way is to promote boosters in the community. The way is through socialization, that boosters are mandatory. Don’t just settle for 2 vaccine injections. It could also be with the door to door vaccination method so that there are more participants, because health workers visit community settlements.
The consequences of a prolonged pandemic will be dangerous because it will also affect the Indonesian economy. People certainly don’t want a recession because of the global pandemic. Therefore, they must be made aware of the importance of boosters, in order to suppress the rate of Corona patients, and to nourish the country’s economy.
Booster vaccines are very important in fighting the malignancy of Corona and reducing the number of patients per day. Immediately do a booster 3 months after the second dose of vaccine, or you can see the exact schedule in the Peduli Protect application. The booster functions to protect the body from Corona, and also completes it with discipline in improving health protocols.
)* The author is a contributor to the Pertiwi Institute
