More COVID-19 Vaccines Reach Indonesia via COVAX
As Indonesia continues to fight a long-running COVID-19 outbreak, some of the nation's shopping centers have taken on a second life as pop-up vaccination sites where residents can go to receive their COVID-19 shots.
Fourteen-year-old Fizal, above, and his father went to get vaccinated at the Cilandak Town Square Mall in South Jakarta. The vaccination sites are stocked in part with COVID-19 vaccines shipped and delivered by the COVAX Facility, a global partnership set up to ensure the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), with UNICEF as a key implementing partner.
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To date, COVAX has facilitated the delivery of more than 16 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Indonesia, including 11,704,800 Astrazeneca doses, and 4,500,160 Moderna doses donated by the USA.
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UNICEF is supporting the COVID-19 vaccine rollout across Indonesia, including strengthening the country’s cold chain facilities, training health workers on vaccination safety protocols and working with communities to counter misinformation about the vaccine.
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The Indonesian government established the temporary vaccination sites in shopping malls to make it easier for people to get their COVID-19 shots.
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Fazil, 14, waited for his second dose, registration forms in hand. COVID-19 restrictions are still in place in much of the country. Some shopping centers in Indonesia reopened for business in early August; only fully vaccinated shoppers with documentation are allowed entry.
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To date, over 91 million people in Indonesia have been vaccinated against COVID-19, but there is much more to be done. A new UNICEF report outlines the widespread secondary impacts of the pandemic on 80 million children and adolescents in Indonesia.
“Just over a year into the pandemic, children and young people across Indonesia are facing a challenging new normal,” said UNICEF Indonesia Representative Debora Comini. “With poverty rising, the majority of schools closed and many essential services still unavailable, we must prioritize child-centered investments to promote an inclusive recovery and better prepare for the next crisis.”
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Top photo: Fazil, 14, shows his certificate after receiving his second dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the Cilandak Town Square Mall in South Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 24, 2021. © UNICEF/UN0506980/Wilander
