(Bloomberg) -- Indonesia is intensifying efforts to boost Covid-19 vaccination for its “reluctant” elderly population as the country's daily death count remains among the highest in the world.
Eight months into its massive inoculation campaign, full vaccination coverage among people of 60 years and older has only reached 15.8%, the lowest of all three priority groups in Indonesia that include health workers and public officials. Fear of side effects, lack of mobility and support from family members, as well as disinformation are the main reasons for the low ratio, according to health ministry data.
The elderly makes up almost half of all Covid-19 deaths in Indonesia, despite accounting for 12% of confirmed infections.
The government will go door-to-door to increase participation and offer free transportation to nearby vaccination booths, said Siti Nadia Tarmizi, spokesperson for the nation's Covid-19 task force. “We must increase the rate to 70% to reach sufficient immunity,” she said in a briefing Friday. The elderly's current coverage is also low compared with a rate of around 60%-70% in the U.S., she added.
Indonesia Readies for Life With Virus as Jakarta Curbs Eased
Southeast Asia's largest economy has been topping the world's tally of daily Covid-19 deaths with more than 1,000 fatality recorded every day since mid-July. New infections are spreading outside its main island of Java, risking a worsening outbreak as the virus reaches areas with less-equipped healthcare systems and lower vaccination coverage.
The elderly accounts for 8.2% of Indonesia's 270 million population, the government said. With about 78 million doses administered so far, nearly 10% of Indonesians have been fully inoculated. That compares with 29% in neighboring Malaysia and 8.5% in India, according to Bloomberg's vaccine tracker.
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
