(Unila): Building B of the Faculty of Medicine (FK) of the University of Lampung (henceforth Unila) was made over to resemble a health clinic. Several desks were merged and arranged lengthwise to approach the walls on the left and right sides.
Tens of medical personnel with complete personal protective equipment (PPE) were seated at the desks. The medical personnel were the vaccinators giving vaccinations against the COVID-19 to 308 medical students of Unila.
On the first day of the Sinovac vaccination, Friday, February 5, 2021, they vaccinated dozens of students during the two day-vaccination program, taking place in the waiting room at the Faculty of Medicine, Unila. They were seated on the chairs arranged in the middle of the room with a distance of 1.5 meters between the chairs.
The Coordinator of the Medicine Education Study Program, dr. Dwi India Anggraini, M.Sc., Sp., KK., explained that the program was run by the Faculty of Medicine, Unila, in collaboration with the Bandarlampung City Health Office.
According to her, the participants were the students of the Healthcare Professions Study Program currently in their professional or clinical clerkship stage.
This clerkship provided them with hands-on experience in hospital settings such as dr. H. Abdul Moeloek Hospital, Lampung Province, Lampung Province Psychiatric Hospital (Mental Health Hospital), and community health centres in Bandarlampung City.
The team of vaccinators involved two community health centres of the Bandarlampung City Health Office, namely the Labuhan Ratu Health Center and the Rajabasa Indah Health Centre, Bandar Lampung, each of which consisted of some 13-15 persons, working on the night and day shifts.
“During the vaccination process, we adhere to a strict health protocol, i.e., wearing masks, washing hands, maintaining distance, and avoiding crowds. In the vaccination room, the vaccinators arranged room well to keep air circulation open, among others, by opening doors and windows,” she added.
She explained that giving the COVID-19 vaccine to students who were doing practice at the clinical stage was necessarily done to protect them from being exposed to the 2019 coronavirus disease.
“This, we hope, is expected to reduce their chances of being infected with the Coronavirus. If one day they are exposed, their immunity against the virus has been well-formed so that it can help reduce morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19”, she further explained.
The vaccination program refers to the Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Number 84/2020 that the COVID-19 vaccination service is carried out as a countermeasure taken to reduce the spread of the virus.
In the initial stage, the team carried out screening in the form of data collection on the students’ medical history to make sure that the vaccine is secure to use. The list of proposed applications for vaccine recipients in the Bandarlampung City Health Office did not include the students with specific comorbidities.
During the vaccination, the medical officer provided a brief explanation of the vaccines, their benefits, and possible side reactions and their handling. Then, vaccinators carried out a clinical examination to measure body tension and temperature.
Having finished a clinical examination, students received a Sinovac vaccine injection and waited for 30 minutes to ensure no Post-Immunization Joining Events (AEFI).
“After completion, vaccine recipients receive a vaccination card and an educational marker for the prevention of COVID-19,” he said. Vaccinations would be repeated (booster) on the next 14 days, 19-20 February 2021. [Public Relations Team]
