The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) reported that 27,081 patients with confirmed positive Covid-19 were receiving hospital treatment between October 4th and November 8th, 2022. Of this number, almost half, or 10,639 patients, had moderate, severe, or critical symptoms.
It was recorded that 74% of these patients with moderate-severe-critical Covid-19 symptoms had not received their third dose of the vaccine, or booster shot.
Specifically, 40% of patients were unvaccinated, 6% had received only the first dose, and 28% had received the second dose.
Furthermore, 1,373 patients died during the same period, with 84% of them not having received a Covid-19 booster vaccine. The highest death rate was among the elderly, and 50% of this group were unvaccinated.
The Minister of Health (Menkes), Budi Gunadi Sadikin, stated that the cause of critically ill Covid-19 patients in hospitals and deaths was due to not being vaccinated or not having completed vaccination with a booster shot.
Therefore, the government continues to push for Covid-19 vaccination coverage in the country, especially among the elderly. According to Budi, based on current data, the elderly have a much higher risk factor compared to children.
"If you've had a booster, the risk of illness and death from Covid-19 is significantly lower compared to those who haven't been vaccinated," Budi said, as quoted from the SehatNegeriku website on Wednesday (November 9th).