On Tuesday 24 May 2022, the Australia Indonesia Health Security Partnership (AIHSP) who partnered with the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) in Last-Mile COVID-19 Vaccination Program, visited a number of villages in Central Java.

The program which outreach to remote areas, aims to socialise, educate and vaccinate eligible people who are vulnerable to COVID-19, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and people with comorbidities (ongoing health conditions or a family history of congenital diseases).

Suyati, a 39-year-old woman who was born without the use of her legs, lives with her two elderly parents and one brother in Kedungbang Village, Tayu District, Pati Regency, Central Java.  She must “walk” using her hands, get helped by someone else, or use a wheelchair if she needs to move from room to room or leave the house.

Suyati remains strong-willed, even though she lives in a very simple home that has the words “poor family” stamped on the front wall.

Despite having a physical disability, Yati—as she is often called—is self-sufficient. To contribute to her household’s income and livelihood, she takes in her neighbors’ laundry for payment and has an online shop that sells a range of items from phone credit and electricity tokens to other necessities.

Yati is just one of the many disabled community members who were the focus of the PMI’s door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination service. She was visited by community health officers and PMI volunteers who were involved in the Last Mile Vaccination Program supported by the AIHSP.

Yati, who was receiving her third dose of COVID-19 vaccine as part of the AIHSP Last-Mile Vaccination visit, explained that she overcame some initial side effects following the first dose.

"I had a fever for one day after the first vaccine,” she said. "I didn't take any medicine. The next one (the second dose of vaccine) I was okay."

Yati never hesitated in getting vaccinated and was comforted by the fact that she didn't have to travel to the vaccination centre in her village.

“From the first time I was injected, I was happy that someone was here,” she said. “Thank you for coming to my house, best of luck."

The Last Mile Vaccination initiative was also endorsed by Nurmandyo Wibowo, a 47-year-old man who is deaf and lives in Srumbung Village, Magelang Regency, Central Java.

Bowo—as he is known to his friends—admitted that he was very enthusiastic when he received information that the vaccination program was coming to his area.

"Most of all, I want to be healthy. Just like in the past, when we were babies or small children and we were injected with polio and smallpox vaccines so we would be stronger and healthier,” said the father of three.

Bowo is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and even helped convince his friends from the deaf-mute community to participate in the vaccination program at local community health centres.

“I brought my deaf friends to be vaccinated, almost 60 people. Of course, there were also those who initially refused, but we tried to explain that the main thing was to follow the advice of the government. There’s no need to worry.”

Meanwhile, vaccinating some elderly residents of Central Java presented a greater challenge for the program’s health officers.

Apart from the elderly themselves, vaccine rejection often occurs through other family members who argue that older people do not need to be vaccinated because they never go anywhere and are therefore not as widely exposed to COVID-19.

A number of PMI volunteers admitted that they had to use their most persuasive techniques to convince many local residents to get their parents or grandparents vaccinated.

“In my opinion, people who live in the cities are more aware and more enthusiastic about vaccination. But, in the villages, it is not the case,” said Noor Eka Fatmaningrum, a PMI volunteer from Pati.

“The main reason is that these villagers think they don’t travel often enough or go far away, so why would they need to get vaccinated?”

When asked how she persuaded older people into getting vaccinated, Noor Eka laughed and replied: "It's like seducing a lover!"

One of the elderly visited by the vaccination team in the Tayu District of Pati Regency was Mbah Mintasih, who is 77 years old and lives in Purwokerto Village.

Mbah Mintasih admitted that this was the first time she had received a dose of COVID-19 vaccine, but was happy and relieved to have the additional protection from the coronavirus.

"I’m fine. Thank you, I've been vaccinated. Thank God."

Unfortunately, during the visit, some residents were unable to be vaccinated because of existing health conditions or comorbidities.

One such story comes from Siti Mustabsyiroh from Tayu Kulon Village. In a somewhat weakened state, the 32-year-old woman seemed excited to go to the community health centre to be vaccinated. However, after being checked by a doctor, she was declared as not eligible for the vaccine because she had undergone heart surgery only 10 days earlier.

"As much as possible, I want to be vaccinated because I got Covid in June 2021,” Siti Mustabsyiroh said.

“I see people who are vaccinated and have a better immune system than those who haven't been vaccinated. But apparently, the doctor thinks my condition is still too unstable. Hopefully, if I go to the hospital for a check-up next month, I will be in a better condition and be eligible for vaccination."

"There are some other similar cases here," said Bambang Kiswanto, the head of Srumbung Village.

“There are residents who come to get vaccinated but are not eligible because of their health condition or comorbidities. They are so excited that they keep coming back and forth to try again because they want to be vaccinated.”

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