by BLOOMBERG

Indonesia’s capital will let those aged 18 years and older to start getting vaccinated against Covid-19 as the government seeks to speed up its inoculation program.

The health ministry has sent a letter to the provincial government to allow it, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, spokeswoman for the government’s Covid-19 task force, said by text message.

Indonesia has administered more than 40 million shots so far, with the doses given to priority groups including health workers, civil servants, the elderly and those with disabilities. Southeast Asia’s largest economy seeks to give out 1 million shots a day to reach its goal of inoculating more than 180 million people to reach herd immunity.

The government has struggled to ramp up vaccination among the elderly, with the health ministry even offering shots to the young if they help bring in those aged 60 years and older to get inoculated. It has reached less than 17% of the targeted number of elderly people since opening the program to the age group in February.