These social media influencers really know how to get their chance.
Popular Instagram users in Indonesia were among the first in line to get the coronavirus vaccine in the country last week – but the shot backfired when a celebrity was spotted at a party hours after being injected.
President Joko Widodo started the country’s vaccination campaign on Wednesday with the help of local TV personality Raffi Ahmad, who has nearly 50 million followers on the app.
“Don’t be afraid of vaccinations,” posted the 33-year-old celebrity, along with a video of himself receiving the injection.
Hours later, the photos showed Raffi partying without a mask and disregarding social distancing protocols – against expert advice, as the vaccine does not offer immediate immunity.
A senior health ministry official told Reuters that “when you get vaccinated, you still have to comply with health protocols and not be careless about applying them.”
After protests over the photos, the social media star offered a public apology. Police said they are investigating whether he broke the law.
Still, the health ministry official said the decision to include influencers with health professionals in the first round of vaccinations was part of a deliberate communication strategy.
Ahyani Raksanagara, who heads the health agency in the city of Bandung, said that celebrities “hopefully transmit positive influence and messages” about vaccines, especially to young people.
A survey last month showed that only 37% of Indonesians said they would like to be vaccinated.
Other influencers who got the photo last week were the popular local musicians Risa Saraswati and Ariel, from the band Noah.
But Zubairi Djoerban, of the Medical Association of Indonesia, said that the strategy of hiring influencers could only work if they “were told about the vaccine and COVID-19 so they can be agents of change”.
Wired Poles