Why Indonesia is vaccinating its working adults ahead of the elderly
AS INDONESIA prepares to begin mass inoculations against Covid-19, its plan to prioritise working-age adults over the elderly, aiming to reach herd immunity fast and revive the economy, will be closely watched by other countries.
Several countries such as the US and Britain that have already begun vaccinations are giving priority to elderly people who are more vulnerable to the respiratory disease.
The following are experts’ views on merits and risks of the Indonesian approach, under which working-age adults will be vaccinated after frontline health workers and public servants.
Indonesia, which plans to begin mass inoculations with a vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech, says it does not have enough data yet on the vaccine’s efficacy in elderly people, as clinical trials under way in the country involve people aged 18 to 59.
“We’re not bucking the trend,” said Siti Nadia Tarmizi, a senior health ministry official, adding authorities would await recommendations from the country’s drug regulators to decide on vaccination plans for the elderly.
While Britain and the US began immunisations with a shot developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech that showed it works well in people of all ages, Indonesia has initial access only to the Sinovac vaccine.
The country has a deal to receive 125.5 million doses of Sinovac’s Corona-Vac shot, and a first batch of 3 million doses is already in the country.
Professor Dale Fisher, from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore, said he understood the rationale of Indonesia’s approach.
“Younger working adults are generally more active, more social and travel more, so this strategy should decrease community transmission faster than vaccinating older individuals,” he said.
“Of course, older people are more at risk of severe disease and death so vaccinating those has an alternative rationale. I see merit in both strategies.
Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Indonesia’s health minister, said the country needed to vaccinate 181.5 million people, or roughly 67% of its population, to reach herd immunity, and required almost 427 million doses of vaccines, assuming a double-dose regimen and a 15% wastage rate.
Some experts are sceptical about reaching herd immunity, as more research needs to be done.
Economists have argued a successful vaccination programme covering around 100 million people will help jump start the economy, as they are more likely to resume economic activity such as spending and production.
Faisal Rachman, an economist with Bank Mandiri, said that the 18 to 59 age group had consumption needs that were higher than other groups.
“They could jack up the economic recovery faster because household consumption contributes more than 50% to Indonesia’s economy,” he said.
He warned that rising Covid-19 cases in the country could also risk lowering people’s confidence.
The pandemic pushed Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, into its first recession in more than two decades last year.
The government is estimating a contraction of as much as 2.2%.