Indonesia begins vaccination of young people aged 12 to 17

Indonesia started its vaccination program for young people on July 1, as it battles the rise in COVID infections among minors in recent weeks, Report informs referring to The Straits Times.

Jakarta began inoculating 100 young people aged 12 to 17 after the Indonesia Food and Drug Monitoring Agency approved the use of the Sinovac vaccine for this age group.

The number of children infected has tripled since May, with infant fatalities surging rapidly, the Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI) said.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said that the vaccination program would target 1.3 million children in Jakarta. The city government would open vaccination centers at schools across Jakarta, he added.

IDAI chairman, Prof Aman Bhakti Pulungan, said that children now make up 12 percent to 15 percent of the total number of COVID patients.

The number of weekly infections has also surged quickly. In early May, there were between 2,000 and 3,000 cases in a week. But the figure climbed to around 5,000 cases in the third week of June and exceeded 6,000 in the fourth week, according to data compiled by pediatricians under the IDAI.

The program will first target between 24 and 27 million children aged 12 to 17 nationwide.