Indonesia to provide COVID-19 vaccine to 9.1 mln people at 1st phase

Jakarta, Oct 20 (IANS) Indonesia will at the first phase provide the COVID-19 vaccine to 9.1 million people between November and December 2020, the Health Ministry's Disease Control and Prevention Director General Achmad Yurianto said.The first phase of vaccination will be carried out on the groups of people with highest risk of COVID-19 infections, namely medical and public service workers including airport employees, soldiers and police personnel, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.Yurianto said that the vaccine would only be given to people aged between 18 years old and 59 years old, because clinical trials of vaccine candidates in the world have yet to target categories outside that age range.The vaccination will be carried out after the Indonesian Drug and Food Supervisory Agency (BPOM) issues an emergency use authorization and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) provides halal certification.
--IANS int/