Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Health, officially removed paid vaccination rules.
As known, the rules containing individual paid vaccinations were previously contained in the Minister of Health Regulation Number 19 of 2021. Now, it has been replaced by the Minister of Health Regulation Number 23 of 2021 concerning the Third Amendment to the Regulation of the Minister of Health Number 10 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of Vaccinations in the Context of Combating the Covid-19 Pandemic.
This rule is an amendment to Permenkes Number 19 of 2021, which previously contained rules regarding paid individual vaccinations through the Gotong Royong Vaccination scheme.
With these changes, the implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination remains the same as the previous mechanism, which is given free of charge to all Indonesians through the government vaccination program and the Gotong Royong Vaccination program through companies. The Gotong Royong vaccination through the company only uses the Sinopharm vaccine with a target of around 7.5 million people aged over 18 years.
According to Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi, Spokesperson for Covid-19 vaccination at the Ministry of Health, the number of paid vaccine doses will be diverted for vaccinations whose mechanism is through the company. Siti Nadia also mentioned the use of paid vaccine stocks for foreigners.
“It will be used for vaccination, the mechanism is with the company, or for foreigners,” said Siti Nadia to detik.com.
Siti Nadia explained that the Sinopharm vaccine, which was prepared for a paid vaccine, was procured through the Gotong Royong vaccination program. The total vaccine prepared for this canceled program is 15 million doses under the Sinopharm brand.
“This is Sinopharm’s vaccine, and the total number of Gotong Royong vaccinations is 15 million. Details can be asked to the state-owned corporation (BUMN) or Kimia Farma,” said Siti Nadia.
Kimia Farma is known to be appointed to procure and provide injection services for the Sinopharm vaccine, which was previously used for a paid vaccination program.
With the abolition of the Minister of Health Regulation Number 19 of 2021, it is ensured that all citizens who receive the Covid-19 vaccination are free of charge.