Indonesia plans to give booster shots to the general public after 50 per cent of its population has been fully vaccinated, its health minister said on Monday, which he expects to happen at the end of next month.
Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country and once Asia's COVID-19 epicenter, has inoculated 29 per cent of its population of 270 million people, using a variety of vaccine brands.
Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a parliamentary hearing the government decided on boosters at the 50 per cent mark due to vaccine inequity concerns at home or abroad.
"Issues of injustice or ethics are so high in the world, because some countries haven't gotten a lot of first shots," he said.
Given for free, Budi said the plan prioritises the elderly and the poor who are insured by the government, while the rest of the population may have to pay for them. Many health workers have already received boosters.
Australia began giving boosters on Monday, while Britain and Germany have also agreed to give them. Thailand has given booster shots to recipients of the Sinovac vaccine over concerns about resistance to the Delta variant.
Royalty, presidents, prime ministers and a legion of faithful will pay their last respects to Pope Francis on Saturday at a funeral Mass in St. Peter's Square to honour his papacy.
India's army chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, will review the ongoing security situation in the state of Jammu and Kashmir following the deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam.
Russia pounded Kyiv with missiles and drones, killing at least 12 people, in the biggest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year and drawing a rare rebuke from US President Donald Trump, who told Vladimir Putin to "stop".
Pakistan closed its air space for Indian airlines and rejected New Delhi's suspension of a critical water sharing treaty in retaliation for India's response to a militant attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir.
Hear the highlights from the week gone by on Dubai Eye 103.8. Listen again to the best interviews, advice and the top stories that has gripped our conversation this week.
Passionate about sport? Then this is where you belong. Tom Urquhart, Chris McHardy and Robbie Greenfield are joined by an elite team of guests each week to look at all the sporting highlights of the weekend.
Apple Inc. shares fell Monday after a closely followed analyst warned that demand for the firm’s new iPhone 16 Pro model has been lower than expected. Is this a sign that the AI software just isn’t ready?
Dubai’s current population is more than double compared to almost twenty years ago, which now stands at 3.7 million. Lots of families are also moving to the UAE now. So what does it mean for the property market?