If you are parents who have children aged 6-11 then there is good news for you. On November 2, the Indonesian Pediatricians Association (IDAI)  recommended giving access for vaccines to children aged 6 to 11 years. The association said that children are considered vulnerable to contracting and spreading the coronavirus. To that end, the Jakarta Provincial Government has provided vaccinations for children aged 6-11 years since December 2021. While now young children have access to vaccines against Covid-19, there are several things to pay attention to. 

The Importance of Vaccinating Aged 6-11

Administering Covid-19 vaccines to children has many benefits. Vaccination can reduce the risk of children contracting the coronavirus from the surrounding environment. Here are the other important reasons why young children should be vaccinated.

Reduce the Rate of Coronavirus Spread

Vaccinated children can reduce the overall spread of the coronavirus. This is because children have the potential to become infected without showing symptoms and potentially transmit the virus to those around them, including adults. To reduce this risk, children need to be registered for vaccination. Vaccination effort has proven to be quite successful in preventing Covid-19 in adulthood. This is reflected in a UK study that the results of Covid-19 infection can drop by 65% after getting the first dose of AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine.

Children Can Move in Public Spaces Safely

When doing activities outside the home, children carry a huge risk of contracting Covid-19. Therefore, giving vaccines can be the main protection for children to be able to do activities safely. In addition, children can also enter public spaces that require vaccination and can participate in face-to-face learning.

High Number of Covid-19 Cases Among Children

Another reason why children need to be vaccinated is because of the high number of Covid-19 cases among children. According to the IDAI study, it is estimated that Covid-19 has affected 260,000 children and the number is feared to increase along with learning activities in schools. Furthermore, the Chairman of IDAI stated, as many as 1 in 8 cases of Covid-19 are children. Of these cases, 3-5 percent result in death. To avoid this, children need to participate in vaccinations as a main protection effort.

Vaccines for Children: Terms and Locations

Bio Farma and/or CoronaVac (Sinovac) vaccines will be administered for children aged 6-11 through two doses with an interval of 28 days. The requirements for children aged 6-11 can be seen from the following official regulations issued by the Jakarta Health Agency:

• Children who can take vaccinations have passed health screening;
• Vaccination is carried out in schools, health centers, and other vaccination centers for all Indonesian citizens, regardless of residency/domicile. 
• Vaccination in schools follows the scheme of the ‘month of immunization’ of each school during the pandemic period. 
• Vaccination for children must adhere to established health protocols to prevent the spread of Covid-19 cases.

Therefore, for those of you who have children aged 6-11, now is the time to register your children in the vaccination program. This is the main action to provide protection for children from being exposed to the virus that causes Covid-19 while doing activities outside the home. To make vaccination appointments for children, you can register through the JAKI application. Get the app on the Google Play Store or Apps Store.