JAKARTA, Indonesia -- U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia, Sung Y. Kim, joined Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi from the Ministry of Health, Dr. Dwi Octavia from the DKI Jakarta Provincial Health Office, and Colonel Piter Dwi Ardianto from the TNI to visit a vaccination site at Cilandak Town Square, September 26, in Jakarta that is offering Pfizer vaccine to the public.
“This morning, it’s wonderful to see Pfizer vaccine doses actually going into arms, to keep Indonesian families safe, and to move us closer to safely reopening Indonesia’s economy,” said Ambassador Kim.
Following President Biden’s pledge in June 2021 to donate 500 million Pfizer doses to the world, Indonesia has received 4.6 million Pfizer doses in the last two weeks. Indonesia previously received 8 million doses of the Moderna vaccine also donated by the United States. On September 23, President Biden announced the donation of an additional 500 million Pfizer doses, bringing the total number of pledged doses to over 1.1 billion.
The United States Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing support to Indonesia’s COVID-19 vaccination program by improving vaccination facilities readiness, developing monitoring systems to track coverage and support beneficiary registration, and disseminating health information to educate citizens and reduce vaccine hesitancy.
In partnership with the Ministry of Health and local governments in Greater Jakarta, USAID is providing technical assistance for vaccinators and logistics at healthcare facilities, mobile clinics, and public areas.
Over the past two months, USAID has recruited and trained almost 400 private sector vaccinators and set up 780 mobile vaccination sites in Jakarta, Banten, and West Java, administering vaccines to approximately 200,000 people.
The Cilandak Town Square venue is one such temporary vaccine site, where people can get their first or second dose. Operating seven days a week, the sites are managed in collaboration with Provincial and District health officials and the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). All vaccines are provided by the Ministry of Health.