Merdeka.com – The effectiveness of vaccination in several countries has proven to be quite successful in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic. Of course, the controlled pandemic in several countries is in line with the wide enough vaccination coverage.
“In the UK, where vaccination coverage is above 50% and America above 40%, Covid-19 cases have fallen by an extraordinary number. Early January 2021, cases in the UK reached 70,000, now only 2000-3000 cases per day,” explained I Gusti Ngurah Kade Mahardika, Virologist, Thursday (3/8).0
“Reflecting on vaccinations for health workers in Indonesia, whose coverage is approaching 100% for the second dose, Covid-19 cases have decreased significantly compared to before vaccination. So we can end the pandemic soon with vaccination, of course, with coverage above 50% of the population, let alone if it reaches more than 70%,” explained Mahardika.
Mahardika also said that later when vaccination coverage in Indonesia exceeds 50%, the 3M protocol: Wearing Masks, Keeping Distance, and Washing Hands should not be relaxed.
“Because wearing a mask, for example, will prevent us from infectious diseases, not only Covid-19 but also influenza and other diseases,” he said.
As of Wednesday (2/6), Indonesia’s vaccination has covered a total of 27.6 million doses. “We have only reached 6%. Although it is still 6%, maybe we can collect data on teachers and public officials who have been vaccinated, whether the data on morbidity or mortality has decreased. If that happens, then once the 50% figure is reached, or ideally 70% If it is achieved, then we can say that the pandemic is under control,” Mahardika said.
Mahardika also gave an example of how herd immunity was formed in the previous pandemic. “There was a pandemic called the Spanish Flu. Indonesia was also affected, but at that time there was no vaccine. What happened was that the pandemic lasted three years and ended with herd immunity. So immunity is caused by the transmission of the virus itself,” he said.
Another major pandemic according to Prof. Mahardika also ended with the creation of herd immunity, namely the H1N1 Flu in 2009. “But it was a mild (mild) pandemic. It spread very quickly throughout the world, but it did not cause severe clinical symptoms and then also ended because of natural herd immunity,” he said.
Herd immunity, both natural and artificial, will make the Covid-19 pandemic control faster. “The assumption is that without a vaccine it will be 3 years, so with a vaccine in 1.5 years it’s over. Once again I hope that the vaccine will cause us to get out of the grip of this pandemic,” Mahardika.
Regarding the Covid-19 Handling Committee and National Economic Recovery (KPCPEN) The Covid-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee (KPCPEN) was formed in the context of accelerating the handling of Covid-19 as well as economic recovery and national economic transformation. KPCPEN’s priorities in order are: Healthy Indonesia, realizing safe people from Covid-19 and reforming health services; Indonesia Works, realizing empowerment and acceleration of labor absorption; and Indonesia Grows, realizing the recovery and transformation of the national economy. In its implementation, KPCPEN is assisted by the Covid-19 Handling Task Force and the National Economic Recovery and Transformation Task Force. [eko]
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