Vaccination is one of the most effective measures to deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Let's find out what the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine are and who needs to get it first.
Currently, the COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in Indonesia and is being prepared for distribution to the wider community. Vaccinations are carried out to complement efforts to prevent COVID-19 disease, such as wearing masks, washing hands, also maintaining distance and avoiding crowds.
Benefits of the COVID-19 Vaccine
Vaccination or immunization is a procedure for giving a disease antigen, usually in the form of a weakened or dead virus or bacteria, it can also be just part of a virus or bacteria. The goal is to make the immune system recognize and be able to fight when exposed to the disease.
Actually, the body's immune system against a disease can form naturally when a person is infected with a virus or bacteria that causes it. However, Corona virus infection has a high risk of death and transmission. Therefore, we need another way to form the immune system, namely vaccination.
The COVID-19 vaccine that has arrived in Indonesia contains the Corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) which has been turned off. By getting the COVID-19 vaccine, you can have immunity to the Corona virus without having to be infected first.
There are many benefits that can be obtained if you get the COVID-19 vaccine, including:
1. Reducing morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19
As previously mentioned, the COVID-19 vaccine can trigger the body's immune system to fight the Corona virus. That way, your risk of getting infected with this virus will be much smaller.
Even if someone who has been vaccinated catches COVID-19, the vaccine can prevent severe symptoms and complications. That way, the number of people who get sick or die from COVID-19 will decrease.
2. Encourage formation herd immunity
A person who gets the COVID-19 vaccine can also protect the people around him, especially groups who are very at risk, such as the elderly over 70 years. This is because the possibility of people who have been vaccinated to transmit the Corona virus is very small.
If given in bulk, the COVID-19 vaccine is also able to encourage the formation of group immunity (herd immunity) in society. This means that people who cannot get the vaccine, such as newborns, the elderly, or people with certain immune system disorders, can get protection from those around them.
However, in order to achieve herd immunity in a society, Research states that at least 70% of the population in the country must have been vaccinated.
3. Minimize economic and social impacts
The benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine are not only for the health sector, but also for the economic and social sectors. If most people already have a good immune system to fight COVID-19, social and economic activities can return to normal.
Priority Group for COVID-19 Vaccine Recipients
Currently, the number of vaccines available in Indonesia is still not enough to be given to all Indonesian people at once. Therefore, there are several groups that are prioritized to get the COVID-19 vaccine first.
The following are some of the groups that the COVID-19 vaccine priority includes:
- Health workers who have a high risk of being infected and transmitting COVID-19
- People with jobs that have a high risk of contracting and transmitting COVID-19 because they cannot maintain distance effectively, such as members of the TNI/Polri, law enforcement officers, and other public service officers.
- People who have co-morbidities with a high risk of death when exposed to COVID-19, including the elderly
After all of the priority groups above have received the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccination will be continued to other groups of recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine, starting from residents in areas with many COVID-19 cases to all corners of Indonesia.
From the facts above, we can see that the COVID-19 vaccine brings many benefits, not only for ourselves but also for many people. Therefore, although there are many rumors circulating about vaccines that are not yet clear, you should not hesitate or be afraid to undergo a COVID-19 vaccination.
While waiting for the COVID-19 vaccine to be released, you must adhere to health protocols and as much as possible avoid going outside or gathering in large crowds.
If you've been on vacation or are in a high-risk situation, try to get a PCR test or at least rapid test antigen, and quarantine for at least 1 week even if the test results are negative. For more detailed information, don't hesitate to ask a doctor via chat in the ALODOKTER application.
