These social media influencers really know how to take their pictures.
Indonesia’s popular Instagram users were among the first to receive the coronavirus vaccine in the country last week – but the effort seemed to return when a celebrity was seen spending hours after the injection.
President Joko Widodo on Wednesday launched the inoculation of the nation with the help of local TV personality Raffi Ahmad, who is proud of almost 50 million followers in the application.
“Don’t be afraid of vaccines,” the 33-year-old star posted, along with a video of himself being shot.
A few hours later, the photos showed Raffi spending without a mask and ignoring social distancing protocols – against the advice of experts, because the vaccine does not provide immediate immunity.
A senior health ministry official told Reuters that “when you are vaccinated, you must continue to follow health protocols and not be negligent in enforcing them.”
Following the shouts about the photos, the star on social networks offered a public apology. Police said they were investigating whether he had broken the law.
However, the Ministry of Health official said that the decision to include influencers together with health workers in the first round of vaccinations is part of a deliberate communication strategy.
Ahyani Raksanagara, who heads the health agency in Bandung, said celebrities will “hope to spread positive influence and messages” about vaccines, especially to young people.
A survey last month showed that only 37% of Indonesians said they were willing to be vaccinated.
Other influencers who shot themselves last week included local folk musicians Risa Saraswati and Ariel of Noah.
But Zubairi Djoerban, of the Indonesian Medical Association, said the strategy of hiring influencers could only work if “they are informed about the vaccine and COVID-19 so they can be agents of change.”
With Post threads