The government has confirmed that foreign workers who have a temporary stay permit (KITAS) or a permanent stay permit (KITAP) will be able to take advantage of the gotong royong or mutual cooperation vaccination program.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, said that government vaccination was being prioritised based on risk zoning to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and for companies that had registered with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).
“Of course, depending on the type of industry, if it’s prioritised as labour-intensive, and also the President’s direction, workers who have a KITAS or KITAP can also use the government vaccine scheme,” said Airlangga in a press conference on Monday 3rd May.
Furthermore, he also said that the government had agreed that the types of COVID-19 vaccines being used in the government program were Sinopharm and CanSino.
The Sinopharm vaccine said the Coordinating Minister, is being imported, with up to 7 million doses already in the country and in July 2021, 7.5 million further doses will also arrive.
“There are 5 million doses of CanSino vaccine that are in the process of shipping,” he said.
As many as 482,400 vaccines in vials waiting to be made into a deliverable jab from Sinopharm, have arrived in Indonesia via Soekarno Hatta Airport. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) has issued an emergency use authorisation for the Chinese-made vaccine.
Head of BPOM, Penny Lukito said that the Sinopharm vaccine that has been registered by PT Kimia Farma is a vaccine produced by Beijing – Bio Institute Biological Products. Co., Ltd China.
Regarding the safety and efficacy of vaccines, a team of experts together with ITAGI and clinical experts have ensured that two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine show a good safety profile and minimal side effects.