Why Vaccination Is Pushed Behind?

The government has canceled out the planned COVID-19 vaccination at the end of 2020. According to President Joko Widodo, vaccinations can only be carried out in early 2021. According to him, the government is trying to get vaccines to arrive in November to December 2020. However, after the vaccines arrive, several rules must be met before the government can carry out the vaccination. "These scientific principles must be followed. Public safety and security must be given the highest priority," he said on Wednesday (11/18).

Meanwhile, head of the West Java’s Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), Eka Mulyana, said that the preparation for the mass COVID-19 vaccination could not be separated from the results of the ongoing clinical vaccine trials. Of all vaccine candidates in the world, the most advanced clinical trials are only in phase III. Eka said that vaccination could be carried out when the clinical trial had been completed, and it is declared successful. "At the earliest, the clinical trial results can be announced in early 2021," he said.