Paid COVID-19 Vaccine Sparks Debate; Majority of Citizens Unwilling to Pay

Many Indonesians are reluctant to pay for the coronavirus Covid-19 vaccine if it were to be sold. This is evident from the results of a survey conducted by Indikator Politik Indonesia, released on Wednesday, August 25, 2021.

The survey showed that 76.4% of respondents said they would not buy the corona vaccine. Only 20.2% of respondents were willing to buy it, while 3.5% stated they did not know/did not answer.

The discussion of a paid vaccine has resurfaced. The public will be allowed to purchase a third dose, or booster shot, starting in January 2022, or once the vaccination target of 208.6 million people is reached.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that the cost of the booster vaccine for individuals will not be expensive, costing only US$7-8 or Rp 100,000 per injection.

However, the cost of the booster vaccine for BPJS Kesehatan participants in the Recipient of Government Assistance (PBI) category will be covered by the government. This has been approved by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

Indikator conducted the survey among 1,220 people across Indonesia from July 30 to August 4, 2021. The survey used a simple random sampling method with a margin of error of approximately 2.9% and a 95% confidence level.