Jakarta – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), with financial support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration handed over ten vaccine refrigerators (TCW3000AC), to support the Government of Indonesia’s COVID-19 vaccination drive over the past weeks. 

Upon the request of the Government of Indonesia, the vaccine refrigerators to safely store vaccines were provided to health facilities across eight cities across the country, including Batam, Bintan, Kupang, Makassar, Medan, Pekanbaru, Sidoarjo, and Tangerang. 

“We just finished the vaccination program for health workers and will continue the program for the elderly people. With the new refrigerator, we can store more vaccines and optimize the national vaccination program,” dr. R. Astrid Heraline, Head of Puskesmas Jambe in Tangerang. 

Since the start of the pandemic, IOM has worked alongside government health offices and hospitals nationwide to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers in Indonesia are fully included in COVID-19 response measures. This has included extensive, sustained community outreach efforts with refugees, increased prevention measures inside refugee accommodations, and delivery of masks and hygiene supplies to refugees. With government health authorities, IOM also has facilitated COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, case management, and lastly, further preparedness measures for isolation and quarantine.

“On the occasion of world health day, it’s a great moment to commend the work of our health counterparts here in Indonesia, for reaching out a hand to the refugee community throughout the course of this pandemic. We all know that no one is safe until everyone is safe, and this means reaching all members of society including those most likely to be left behind.  These vaccine refrigerators are part of our ongoing collaboration with health authorities, and our joint efforts to reach all community members across Indonesia,” stated Mr. Louis Hoffmann, Chief of Mission, IOM Indonesia.

To ensure the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, the cold chain system, or a series of links to store the vaccines at the right temperature range, is necessary. Cold chain equipment is crucial to maintain the quality of the vaccine from the manufacturing process to the point of injection. 

In addition to the cold chain equipment, IOM is continuing its work with the government, civil society, and migrants nationwide to support prevention and treatment efforts at the community level to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country and address public health as well as socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. 

For further information, please contact IOM Indonesia. Louis Hoffmann, Email: lhoffmann@iom.int  Tel. +41794081537 or Ariani Hasanah Soejoeti, Email: asoejoeti@iom.int  Tel. +628122726308.