Indonesia plans fifth COVID-19 vaccine dose to high-risk groups

Illustrative image (Photo: AFP)

Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian Ministry of Health is planning to administer the fifth dose of COVID-19 vaccine for the elderly and those with underlying diseases, given the uptick in the new cases in the country.

As of December 14, the Southeast Asian country recorded 1,499 cases positive to COVID-19 nationwide. Among them, there were 359 new cases reported the same day, and five fatalities recorded in previous week.

EG.5, a sub-variant of Omicron, is believed to be the primary cause of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia and other countries in the region. EG.5 has a lower fatality rate compared to other sub-variants.

The ministry’s spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi said the ministry is in negotiations to provide the fifth COVID-19 vaccine dose, or a third booster next year, especially for those at high risk of virus exposure.

Also as of December 14, about 203 million people in Indonesia, or 86% of the target population, received the first vaccine dose. As many as 175 million people obtained the second booster dose, while 69 million others got the first booster shot./.

VNA