Indonesia offers an unexpected gift to the vaccinated

Follow up- INA

Indonesian authorities donate live chickens in rural areas to encourage older residents to receive coronavirus vaccines.

The programme, in Cianjur district, West Java, is part of the authorities' efforts to increase the number of vaccines given to citizens aged 45 and over.

Ghalih Abria, assistant commissioner of police in the Bekat sub-district, said older residents were very reluctant to get vaccinated during the start of the government's vaccination program
He added: "Early on, there was a lot of misinformation circulating on the Internet, especially on social media, about the vaccine."

Many elderly people believe that the vaccine does not protect against corona, but it may cause serious and even fatal diseases.
The police launched the free chicken program last month in cooperation with the sub-district government and local health centers.

Before the program began, only 25 of the 200 citizens were ready to get the vaccine, Ghalih said - but "now, we have 250 people a day ready to receive the vaccine."

Ghalih also noted that giving chickens was a sign of affection and respect towards the elderly, and a step to make them more comfortable with police officers and health officials and with the vaccine itself.

Hundreds of villagers from three villages in Pekat went to get the vaccine, according to CNN Indonesia.

The authorities gave 500 free chickens as a result of the program - but they also took other steps to push for wider vaccination, Ghalih said.

He continued, "We had to explain to people the safety and benefits of the vaccine so that they would stop feeling so afraid... We go door to door and encourage the population to get vaccinated."

Indonesia has reported one of the largest coronavirus outbreaks in Asia, with infections totaling nearly two million and the country recording more than 53,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.