Illustration photo (Source: AFP/VNA)
Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian Ministry of Health plans to administer the fifth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to the elderly and those with underlying diseases, given the increase in new cases in the country.
As of December 14, the Southeast Asian country registered 1,499 positive cases of COVID-19 nationwide. Among them, 359 new cases were reported on the same day and five deaths were recorded from the previous week.
EG.5, a subvariant of Omicron, is believed to be the main cause of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia and other countries in the region. EG.5 has a lower mortality rate compared to other subvariants.
Spokesperson for the aforementioned ministry, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, revealed that the ministry is in negotiations to provide the fifth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, or a third booster, next year, especially for those at high risk of exposure to the virus.
In addition, around 203 million people in Indonesia, or 86% of the target population, received the first dose of the vaccine as of the 14th./.
VNA
2023-12-16 10:13:00
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