Indonesia Allows Private Companies to Administer COVID-19 Vaccinations at Their Own Expense

The Mayor of Madiun, a small city in East Java, Indonesia, is inspecting a train mobilized as an emergency hospital for COVID-19 on January 22 (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In Indonesia, private companies are now allowed to vaccinate their employees and their families against COVID-19.

The Indonesian government announced this regulation on the 26th. According to the announced regulation by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, private companies can vaccinate their employees and families with vaccines 'different from those administered by the Indonesian government' starting next month. However, they must not charge any fees.

Companies are to purchase vaccines solely supplied by the state-owned pharmaceutical company Bio Farma using their own budgets, provide vaccinations free of charge, and submit the information of vaccinated employees and their families to the Ministry of Health.

The vaccines used by private companies must first receive emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency, and the price ceiling for vaccines will be determined by the Minister of Health.

The Ministry of Health explained, "Foreign representatives of other countries and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in Indonesia can receive vaccines through either government or private programs."

The Indonesian government has decided to provide free vaccinations to 181.55 million people, which is 70% of the total population, prioritizing healthcare workers aged 60 and above, public officials, public workers, and merchants, administering the Chinese Sinovac vaccine until April.

However, since only about 60,000 vaccinations are being administered daily, companies wishing to conduct group vaccinations for their employees have actively requested, "Please allow vaccinations as we will bear the costs."