Indonesia has started vaccinating its elderly medical workers against the coronavirus for the first time, after initial uncertainty over whether seniors would be prioritised in a country battling one of Asia's worst epidemics.

“I hope that once I am vaccinated I will be safe in my daily life, especially as the rate of the pandemic is going up, not down,” said V. S. Ritonga, an 83-year-old pediatrician, after receiving his first shot at a Jakarta health centre.

According to Reuters, Indonesia has recorded more than 1.1 million coronavirus infections and 31,000 deaths, among the biggest caseloads in Asia and the most in Southeast Asia.

The deaths include 647 medical workers, according to data from the Indonesian Medical Association, one of the highest rates globally.