Indonesia: Residents in rural areas offered live chicken to promote vaccination drive

In an effort to vaccinate its citizens against COVID-19, Indonesian authorities are giving live chicken to elderly people getting vaccinated in rural areas of Indonesia. The vaccination program has been started in Cianjur regency, West Java to vaccinate people aged 45 and above. As per reports, elderly people in Indonesia believe that vaccine does not protect against the novel virus but it causes serious diseases. 

Vaccination program that involves chicken

Galih Abria, assistant commissioner of police in the Bekat sub-district, said older residents were apprehensive to get vaccinated during the start of the government's vaccination program. The people believed misinformation that was circulated online about vaccine, reported CNN. People reportedly thought that vaccine would not protect them against the vaccine but it would cause serious diseases. 

To encourage its citizens for getting vaccinated, the authorities launched the vaccination program that included chicken. Prior to this vaccination program, only 25 people used to get vaccinated in 200 residents. After authorities started gifting chickens to people, 250 people are willing to get vaccinated, reported CNN. He added that giving out chickens was a sign of affection and respect toward the old man which made them comfortable with police officers, health officials, and with the vaccine itself. Authorities have given 500 free chickens to the people as part of the program. They have also started explaining to people about the benefits of vaccine. They have started door-to-door campaign to encourage people to get vaccinated.  

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo ordered authorities to ramp up the country's vaccination campaign as the World Health Organization warned of the need to increase COVID-19 restrictions in the country. Indonesia reported 12,624 new COVID-19 cases on June 17, the highest daily rise since February, bringing the total number of cases to 1.95 million, according to Indonesian health authorities. 277 new deaths were reported due to COVID-19 taking the overall total to 53,753. Meanwhile, a total of 1.77 million patients have been recovered. 

IMAGE: AP

Inputs from AP