Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Indonesian Ministry of Health has started distributing the Moderna type of COVID-19 vaccine to the general public in all provinces in the country.

"The Moderna vaccine, which was allocated in the second week of August 2021, is to meet the need for two doses at once," said Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Vaccination of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, in Jakarta, Thursday (12/8).

Nadia said the Moderna vaccine was given in two doses to vaccinated participants with an interval of four weeks from the first dose.

To date, Indonesia has received a grant of Moderna vaccine from the COVAX Facility with a total of 8 million doses. Meanwhile, another 3 million doses of which have been allocated to 1.4 million health workers as a booster.

According to Nadia, about 5 million other doses are in the process of distribution to all regions to be allocated to the general public.

She explained that the vaccine made by the American company was a COVID-19 vaccine with an mRNA platform with modified nucleosides.

The Health Ministry suggested that Moderna vaccines be stored in refrigerators at temperatures of minus 25 to minus 15 degrees Celsius in health office facilities.

Meanwhile, in health service facilities, Nadia noted, Moderna vaccines could be stored in the vaccine refrigerator at a temperature of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine will be given to those who have never been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Reporting by Indonesia Window