badung region focused on booster vaccines for elderly in bali

The spread of the Covid-19 vaccine in Bali has been very successful. In Badung province, the Covid-19 task force is now offering booster shots for the elderly. Despite positive vaccinations in Bali, the most questionable demographic is the elderly. It is hoped that this targeted effort to offer booster injections to the elderly will also be an effective solution for those who have not received their first injection.

Spokesperson for the Badung Covid-19 task force, I Gusti Ngurah Gede Jaya Saputra, said the participation of older people in the region was only 43.7%. The booster vaccination rate in the population is 60%, with health professionals reaching 100%. Saputra believes parents will catch up with the new efforts.

While sharing statistics on the vaccination program so far, Saputra announced that as of May 8, 2022, 543,084 people in Badung had received the first vaccination, and 494,545 of them had also received the second vaccination. Patients were considered fully vaccinated after two doses. He went on to say that 211,009 people had also taken their reminders.

The Badung Covid-19 task force would like to see an increase in the use of booster shots among the elderly, especially as many young people in the province return to work. In Bali, it is common for families to live in multi-generational homes. With most of the workforce working in the tourism sector and borders now open to travellers, the Covid-19 task force foresees the need to protect the elderly population as much as possible.

The vaccination clinic is also a place to share the latest information on health and hygiene protocols. Such protocols go a long way to ensuring the protection of older adults in their own homes.

There is now no longer a mandatory quarantine for travelers entering Bali unless they test positive at the airport upon arrival. Travelers must present their vaccination record and a negative rapid antigen test carried out at least 48 hours before their flight. Those who are not vaccinated must show the immigration officer a negative PCR test result taken at least 48 hours before arrival in Bali.

Last week, four provinces in Bali reported no new Covid-19 cases and no deaths. The government and the public are aware that this number could increase in the coming months, not only due to the influx of tourists, but also due to the increased movement of people in the provinces. Increasing vaccine distribution to rural, vulnerable and elderly populations is at the heart of the local Covid-19 task force.

In this new era, the percentage of citizens vaccinated is also a measure used by travelers to decide if they want to visit a place. This is a safety measure for travelers for their own health and out of concern for local residents in the area they are traveling to. Authorities must be able to demonstrate that they have the Covid-19 outbreak under control, that adequate protocols are in place and that vaccine deployments are continuing if they want potential travelers to feel confident in their decision to book a trip to Bali.

Since the official reopening of the border in February and the resumption of the visa-on-arrival program in April, the number of visitors has slowly increased. During the Eid weekend, the number of tourists was at its highest since the beginning of the pandemic and the hotel occupancy rate reached 60%. The tourism sector in Bali hopes that with the upcoming school holidays in Australia, this number will continue to steadily increase.