UNS — Democracy and National Resilience Study Center (Pusdemtanas) Institute for Research and Community Services (LPPM) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta held a Seminar on Research Result of Legal Standard for Vaccination Process in Solia Zigna Laweyan, Surakarta, Tuesday (18/1/2022). The offline seminar was attended by the Rector of UNS, Prof. Dr. Jamal Wiwoho, Chairwoman of LPPM UNS, Prof. Dr. Okid Parama Astirin, Secretary of LPPM UNS, Prof. Dr. Syamsul Hadi, Director of UNS Hospital, Prof. Hartono, Deputy of Education and Research UNS Hospital, Tonang Dwi Ardyanto, Ph.D., and the Chief of Pusdemtanas LPPM UNS, Dr. Sunny Ummul Firdaus.
In his opening remark, the Rector of UNS, Prof. Dr. Jamal Wiwoho, stated that since March 2020, Covid-19 had affected various aspects of life in Indonesia, including educational activities that were shifted into online teaching and learning due to the pandemic. Considering the high level of infection at national and international levels, vaccination becomes one of the efforts proposed to prevent the spread of new coronavirus infections. Prof. Jamal emphasized that he highly appreciates the efforts taken by research centers in LPPM, especially Pusdemtanas, that continue to conduct research and community services.
“Including this Seminar on Research Result of Legal Standard for Vaccination Process,” Prof. Jamal stated.
Dr. Sunny Ummul Firdaus, in her opening remark, added that the pandemic had reached a new stage in which prevention does not rely on external efforts but is extended to the efforts in increasing public immunity through the vaccination process. “The vaccination process for Covid-19 in Indonesia is regulated in several regulations. The regulations are Health Minister Decree No. 19 of 2021 regarding the Implementation of Vaccination as a Countermeasure of Covid-19 Pandemic, Circular Letter on Covid-19 Vaccination Acceleration for the Head of Provincial and District/City Health Offices in Circular Letter Number HK.02/I/1727/2021 regarding Stage 3 Vaccination for Vulnerable and General Community and 12-17 years old,” Dr. Sunny explained.
However, Dr. Sunny added that the way towards Indonesia’s independence of vaccine production faces diverse challenges from the upstream to downstream implementation. These challenges are on the legal basis for research in vaccines development in Indonesia that is lacking, not integrated, less responsive, and limiting researchers. There is also a rejection of vaccines by the community, legal rights to determine their choices, and distribution challenges caused by infrastructures, which need to be considered by the government in planning public policies in Indonesia. These issues, according to Dr. Sunny, are related to the absence of a legal basis for the vaccination process and could be solved by developing appropriate legal constructions.
Dr. Sunny also emphasized the importance of vaccine independence in increasing the nation’s resilience against non-military threats. “The government needs to map the stages of policymaking process including through roadmaps for Legal Standard for Vaccination Process. Thus, the policies taken during the process will be measurable, effective, and efficient,” Dr. Sunny concluded. Humas UNS
Reporter: Dwi Hastuti