UNAIR NEWS – Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) Alumni Association (IKA) has organized Covid-19 vaccination sessions in villages and coastal areas, especially the ones have not been reached by the vaccination services. A session was held at the Yanabi’ul Ulum Wal Hikmah Islamic Boarding School, Jagir Sidosermo, Wonokromo Sub-district, Surabaya, on Saturday morning, July 17, 2021.

The Chair of IKA UNAIR and Governor of East Java, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, was present to monitor the implementation of the first stage of vaccination sessions. She explained the vaccination activities held in collaboration with IKA UNAIR and the East Java Provincial Government was to accelerate and achieve the target of 70 percent of East Java people being vaccinated by next August.

“We are targeting coastal areas, because these areas tend to have minimal access to health services,” she explained.

As many as 500 doses of vaccine were given at that first point. They were administered to residents of the Islamic boarding school and the community around the school.

Khofifah said the vaccination activity was also a follow-up to President Joko Widodo’s program on vaccination for students and students aged 12 to 17 years.

The vaccination session this time, said Khofifah, was carried out thanks to cooperation of various parties, the East Java Provincial Government, IKA UNAIR, and UNAIR Faculty of Medicine (FK). Some FK UNAIR students and UNAIR doctors were also involved. 

“It is a partnership between the local government and agencies,” she said.

In the vaccination activity, participants still apply health protocols, such as wearing masks, maintaining distance, carrying hand sanitizers, reducing crowds, and avoiding mobility.

After inspecting the process of the vaccination, Khofifah and the attending IKA management staff distributed aid packages to the local community. They are in the form of masks, vitamins, hand sanitizers, equipment for spraying disinfectants, staple food, temperature checking devices, and personal protective equipment.

Furthermore, the second stage of the vaccination will be carried out on July 24 for residents of Kalanganyar, Sidoarjo.

“This is the first stage. God willing, we will do the same thing in Kalanganyar, Sedati, and Sidoarjo on the 24th. Then also several other areas we have identified, “said Khofifah. (*)

Author: Erika Eight Novanty

Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia