In support of the Indonesian government’s call for COVID-19 public vaccination, the Adventist Church in West Indonesian (WIUM) collaborated with the Jakarta Local Conference (JLC) and the Jakarta Adventist Doctors Association to establish a vaccination center at the WIUM head office. Adventist members and the public were the main beneficiaries of the vaccination program, which took place July–August 2021 and will hopefully provide immunity for Jakarta residents during the pandemic.

On the first day of the vaccination (July 11), Pastor Binsar Sagala, WIUM’s secretary, opened the program with a short devotional message for the attending WIUM staff, JLC staff, and health workers. The coordinating team and the health workers then set up the vaccination area and stationed health workers and volunteers in their respective locations. 

“We hope all church members in Jakarta and surroundings can make the most out of this vaccination program by coming to the vaccination center here on MT Haryono street. I will be actively involved in this program until August 2021,” said Pastor Jimmy Havelaar, Health Ministries director of WIUM.

Vaccine recipients were required to bring identification proof (ID card, Temporary Stay Permit Card for foreigners, or Proof of Residence) and be 18 years old and above. Recipients are also required to register online before their day of vaccination to identify which health pre-screening steps will be conducted. Online registration is available on the Grab or Good Doctor smartphone applications. Additionally, participants have to ensure they are not being registered elsewhere for COVID-19 vaccination (e.g., those conducted by the government). On-site registration is also available but discouraged, as this consumes more time and lengthens the queue, especially for the pre-screening checks.

At the end of the first day, more than 1,000 individuals were successfully vaccinated with the first dose of Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine. It was reported that in the following weeks, vaccination will be available for fit individuals aged 12–16 years old as per the government’s recent policy.

This article was originally published on the Southern Asia-Pacific Division’s news site