Vaccination Inequality Still Occurs, WHO Criticizes Vaccine Card Requirements

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Policies related to vaccine card requirements have caused controversy for several parties amidst vaccination inequality in several regions in Indonesia. 

Previously, the government required a Covid-19 vaccine certificate for domestic travelers during the Implementation of Level 4 Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) in Java-Bali. These provisions are stated in the Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs Number 34/2021 concerning PPKM Levels 4, 3, and 2 in Java-Bali.

Diah Saminarsih, Senior Advisor to the Director-General of the World Health Organization, said the requirement to use a Covid-19 vaccine certificate for travel can be applied as long as more than 50 percent of the total population has been vaccinated.

According to her, the Covid-19 vaccine certificate for travel can be applied if vaccine equity in each region has been realized. 

Vaccine equality is urgently needed considering that people’s mobility does not only exist within one provincial boundary.

“Who is most vulnerable will get the (Covid-19 vaccine) first. Whoever comes to the health center of his/her own volition wants the vaccine, he/she will go first. Administrative or access barriers should be removed properly in order to create vaccine equity,” Diah said via cnnindonesia.com.

Diah also highlighted the availability of vaccines in various regions. According to her, the supply of vaccines must be sufficient and the distribution evenly to reach the regions, the right priority, to whom and where the vaccine is given. These two conditions cannot be separated from the provision of vaccine certificates for travel.