Indonesia to start mass Covid-19 vaccination drive next week

Armed police officers stand guard next to a truck containing Sinovac's vaccine for coronavirus disease during its distribution in Pekanbaru, Riau province, Indonesia, January 5, 2021. - Antara Foto/Reuters

JAKARTA, Jan 5 (dpa): Indonesia will start its mass vaccination drive against Covid-19 next week, the country's health minister said Tuesday.

President Joko Widodo will be the first to receive the shot on January 13 to assure the public that the CoronaVac vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech is safe, Budi Gunadi Sadikin said.