Who misses the days before the pandemic? When everyone can freely travel without wearing a mask and still feel safe. Perhaps, we all miss that, except for those who live in Denmark. By mid-June 2021, the Denmark government no longer requires their citizens to wear masks in open public areas. In fact, at the Euro 2020 this year, Danish were free to go to the stadium to watch the quadrennial football tournament. No masks, no mobility restrictions. Then, what made Denmark able to control the Covid-19 pandemic? Vaccination is the key.
Vaccines Help Us Control The Pandemic
In Denmark, 67% of Danish over 12 years old have received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine (as of 6 July 2021). It means, more than a half of the Danish population already has antibodies to fight Covid-19. With so many vaccinations done, the Covid-19 cases growth in that country has decreased to below 1% per day. Apart from Denmark, the United States and several other countries with high vaccination rates and deemed in control of the pandemic have also started to remove the obligation to wear masks for those who have been fully vaccinated.
Then, what about Indonesia? As of 6 July 2021, the number of people who have received the first dose of the vaccine has reached more than 32 million or 12.6% of its vaccination target. It still seems low, but the vaccination program for residents over 12 years old has just begun. Various types of vaccines are still coming to meet this country's needs. As the number of people being vaccinated increases, of course the number of Covid-19 cases in Indonesia will also decrease, just like Denmark and other countries. But before that, have you been vaccinated?
I am Ready To Be Vaccinated, But What is the Best Vaccine?
So far, Sinovac and AstraZeneca are the two types of vaccines that are most widely used in the National Vaccination program in Indonesia. Both have passed various clinical trials and have been shown to provide benefits against Covid-19. It will not be apple to apple to compare the two (and the other types of vaccines) because of the different clinical trial processes. For more details, see the following information of the two vaccines:
Effectiveness (after the second dose)
Sinovac
94% effective at reducing the risk of being infected with Covid-19
96% effective at reducing the risk of symptomatic Covid-19
(Study from Indonesia Ministry of Health, 13 January - 18 March 2021)
AstraZeneca
79% effective at reducing the risk of being infected with Covid-19
92% effective at reducing the risk of symptomatic Covid-19
(Study in UK, 12 June 2021)
All types of vaccines have different effectiveness in each country because of the different clinical trial processes. Until now, the Indonesia Ministry of Health has not released the results of the AstraZeneca study vaccine in Indonesia.
Injection interval
Sinovac
2 doses with interval of 2 - 4 weeks
AstraZeneca
2 doses with interval of 12 weeks
So, what is the best vaccine to use? We need to know that until now, Covid-19 has mutated and created new infectious variants such as the Delta variant. For this reason, vaccination must be carried out immediately. The government continues to strive so the need for vaccines in Indonesia is quickly met by bringing in various types of vaccines from various manufacturers. We are in a race with a virus that can infect anyone. There is no time to choose or wait for the best vaccine, because the current available vaccine is the best vaccine to protect us from Covid-19. So, let’s register yourself for vaccination via the JAKI application, which you can download through the Google Play Store or Apple Store. For those of you who have or will be vaccinated, keep comply with health protocols (wear masks, wash hands, keep your distance, avoid crowds, and reduce mobility) to protect yourself and your loved ones.
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