After previously the government promoted the third stage of vaccination as a booster vaccine, recently, Deputy Minister of Health (Wamenkes) Dante Saksono Harbuwono said that there is a chance that Indonesia would implement an advanced coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination program or fourth booster. This will only be done if future analytical studies show empirical evidence
Dante (23/2) explained, “If a study is needed which we continue to evaluate, it turns out that we need a fourth booster, the fourth booster is possibly needed. But now what we have to pursue is that we must carry out an equal policy.”
However, the policy for the fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine injection will not be implemented shortly because the government is still focused on completing the primary vaccination program for doses one and two which are scheduled to be completed in June 2022, as well as in parallel with the third booster vaccination program.
He reminded, before moving on to booster vaccination (stage 4), there are still many residents who have not been vaccinated against stages two and one, and there are still many who have not been vaccinated at all.
“After the primary vaccination is complete, then we target it to be completed in June. Then we evaluate with clinical trials, epidemiology, [whether] we need a fourth booster. A fourth booster may be needed, but now is not the time to do a fourth booster,” he said.
He also added that the booster program was given with the aim of additional protection after the results of the study showed that during the 3-6 month period after receiving the primary vaccination, the protection people received decreased.
Vaccination achievements as of Wednesday (23/2) at 12.00 WIB, as many as 190,092,902 people have received the first dose of injection. Meanwhile, 141,806,330 doses of people have also completed receiving two doses of vaccine injections.
Thus, the government’s vaccination target of a total target of 208,265,720 people has touched 91.27 percent of the vaccination target who received the first dose of injection. Meanwhile, the second dose of injection was only at 68.09 percent.
On the other hand, from the United States, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering a fourth or second booster dose of a potential Covid-19 vaccine next fall.
The FDA has also reviewed data to authorize a second booster dose of messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Planning is still in its early stages and authorization will depend on determining whether a second booster should be allowed for all adults or a specific age group.
The report also says the authorization will also review whether it should target the Omicron variant or be formulated differently.
There is no final decision yet, but a booster vaccine may be available earlier if a new variant emerges. However, until this news was published, the FDA itself has not made a sound regarding the second booster program
 Dante Saksono Harbuwono said that there was a chance that Indonesia would implement an advanced coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination program or fourth booster. This can only be done if future analytical studies show empirical evidence){kind=link}