Since January 12, 2022, the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta has rolled out booster vaccine shots in stages. Regulations related to the implementation of booster vaccination are contained in the Circular Letter HK.02.02 of 2022. The requirements for the booster vaccine recipients are Indonesian citizens with ID cards with priority for the elderly and vulnerable/immunocompromised groups, aged 18 years and over, have received a second dose of vaccine at least for 6 months, and have a booster vaccine ticket in the PeduliLindungi application.
If you fulfill the criteria above, then you are eligible for a booster shot and you can come to the health facility according to the schedule on the ticket. However, if you are still wondering and ask questions like; Why should I get a booster vaccine? Does this mean the first and second dose of vaccines were not working?, and so on, don’t worry. The Jakarta Smart City team has summarized the answers below. What about those of you who’ve already been excited about getting a booster vaccine? Of course, you still need to read it, because you need to know more about the vaccine that will be administered into your body. Without further ado, let’s read the following article.
What is a Covid-19 booster vaccine?
The Covid-19 booster vaccine is an additional dose of the vaccine given after the protection from the first and second (primary) doses is reduced.
What is the difference between primary and booster vaccination?
Primary vaccination is the main dose of vaccination to provide immunity to Covid-19 for a certain period of time in a homologous manner (same type of vaccine for dose 1 & 2). While booster vaccination is the vaccination done after you get a complete dose to maintain the level of immunity and prolong the period of protection in a homologous and heterologous way.
Does that mean my primary vaccine didn’t work?
Of course your first and second dose of vaccines has worked effectively to protect you from the Coronavirus. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines succeeded in reducing the risk of hospitalization due to Covid-19. Research done by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also shows that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine contributes to reduced risk of hospitalization in adolescents aged 12–18. However, the vaccine’s efficacy may decrease over time.
Why should I get a Covid-19 booster vaccine?
As you know, the effectiveness of the first and second doses of the vaccine will gradually decrease. Meanwhile, we are still in the midst of a pandemic, and even faced with new variants of the Coronavirus such as Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron (B.1.1.529). Thus, in order to maintain the level of immunity and prolong the period of protection from the Covid-19, you will need to get an additional vaccine shot.
When can I get the booster vaccine?
You can get a booster vaccine at least 6 months after getting the full dose of vaccine (1 and 2). Vaccination schedules and tickets will appear in the PeduliLindungi application in the Status Vaksinasi & Hasil Tes COVID-19 (Vaccination Status & COVID-19 Test Results) menu.
Are pregnant women eligible to get booster vaccines?
Yes. According to the Circular Letter of the Ministry of Health regarding the safety of vaccines for pregnant women, pregnant women can be given the Pfizer/Moderna booster vaccine.
Where can I find a site for booster vaccinations?
Booster vaccinations are held at the government facilities, health centers, hospitals, various TNI (Indonesia National Armed Forces) and POLRI (National Police) owned facilities.
Can I choose the type of booster vaccine?
No, you cannot. The type of booster vaccine is determined by the health worker based on the type of your first and second dose of vaccines, and the availability of the vaccine itself.
Should the booster vaccine be the same as the primary vaccine?
Ideally, the type of booster vaccine is matched with the type of primary vaccine (homologous). However, if the type of vaccine that matches the primary vaccine is not available, a different type of booster vaccine (heterologous) can be used. You don’t need to doubt the eligibility of homologous or heterologous vaccines. Regardless of the type, the role of booster vaccines is to form, strengthen, and make sure that the antibodies remain intact.
In Jakarta, there are provisions regarding the type of booster vaccine that each individual receives. Those of you who receive Sinovac as their primary vaccine will get a booster dose of AstraZeneca or Pfizer. Meanwhile, those who receive the AstraZeneca primary vaccine will receive a booster dose of Moderna or Pfizer. This vaccine is given based on the availability of vaccines in health facilities and the determination of this type has received approval from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ITAGI), and WHO.
What is the provision for those with Pfizer and Moderna as their primary vaccine?
At this time, there are no regulations for booster doses for people with Pfizer and Moderna as their primary vaccine, as these vaccines were just administered in August 2021.
How do I get a booster vaccination?
You can do the following steps.
- Log in to the PeduliLindungi application
- Click on the person’s picture at the top left and a name and phone number will appear and various other options will appear.
- Select Vaccination History and Tickets
- Click the name of the person whose ticket will be printed
- Vaccination tickets will appear, starting from the first, second, and booster vaccinations, if the ticket has been issued.
- Click on the Vaccination Status & COVID-19 Test Results to get the schedule of your booster vaccination
How do booster vaccines work in the body?
Before getting into how booster vaccines work, let’s start from the primary post-vaccination phase. According to Ali Ellebedy, an immunologist, when a person has been vaccinated with two doses, the antibodies will be stronger and protect you from the Coronavirus. However, over time the antibodies will disappear, although not completely. There will be “memory” left in the cells that produce antibodies, especially B cells.
So, what happens if you are administered with a booster vaccine a few months after the primary vaccine? These B cells will multiply and the number of antibodies will increase. Over time, the number of these antibodies may decrease again, but the B cells and the remaining memory will be larger than before, indicating a faster and stronger response to subsequent similar events.
Why do we only get half a dose of booster vaccine?
Various local and international studies have shown that half a dose of booster vaccine has a relatively equal/better increase in antibody level than the full dose booster. It also provides a lighter AEFI (Post Immunization Adverse Event). In addition, there is no difference in antibody formation in the half-dose and full-dose vaccines.
What are the side effects of the booster vaccine?
Booster vaccine recipients may experience AEFI such as pain at the injection site, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, chills, nausea/vomiting, fatigue, fever (marked by a temperature >37.8 degrees Celsius, and experience similar symptoms), flu and chills for 1–2 days. Even so, the results of clinical trials of booster vaccines in Indonesia found no indication of severe AEFIs in the study samples.
Those are the things you need to know about the provisions for the Covid-19 booster vaccination in Jakarta. You can also read this information on Jakarta’s official social media. For those of you who meet the requirements for booster vaccination, let’s get vaccinated immediately! Hopefully, by having Jakartans get the booster shots, we can end this pandemic soon.
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