The number of COVID-19 vaccinated elderly is still low compared to other groups, and yet they are categorized as the most vulnerable group to suffer the harmful effects of the virus. Why is it so hard to reach them? Research shows many of them are afraid to be vaccinated due to their underlying health issues and the potential for comorbid effects that may arise. They have less access to social media where much of the vaccine information is available as well on line appoints for vaccinations, which hampers their access to information regarding COVID-19 vaccinations and its importance as a safeguard. Therefore, they need a special approach to be encouraged so that they would get vaccinated.

The Pahlawan Lansia (elderly Hero) competition is a concept developed under the umbrella SIAP (Semangat Dapat Vaksinasi Lengkap) campaign, which aims to approach elderly in a subtler way to engage them and gain their trust for the efficacy and safety of the vaccines. The goal of the competition is to select an elderly person who has been vaccinated twice and can serve as a role model and spokesperson on behalf of the campaign. He/she will communicate the challenges and ups and downs they experienced getting the vaccine, through radio broadcasts, news articles, local community events, and social media platforms. With the role models sharing their stories, it is expected other elderly unvaccinated people will identify with the stories, partake in discussions sharing the same doubts and insecurities of getting vaccinated. Key messages to promote vaccinations and counter mis/disinformation surrounding COVID-19 that are echoed in the competition will help to expand reach of the vaccination message, and increase demand for the vaccinations among the elderly.

The competition is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Breakthrough ACTION, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, local officials and the USAID’s implementing partners.

The recruitment phase for the role models has begun in 10 prioritized districts across 5 provinces. Partnering with local radios in the districts, they have promoted the Pahlawan Lansia competition during the first week of April 2022. Thematic talk shows inviting experts and health officials to share reliable information around COVID-19 vaccination for the elderly kicked off simultaneously.

The competition started to resonate as soon as it was broadcast. To generate more hype on the competitions, it was also announced in the local radio partners and local health office’s social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. Feeds and posts about the competition posted by the Influencers in 10 districts, have boosted the excitement of the competition and created more awareness on the importance of COVID-19 vaccination for the elderly.

Already after only a couple of weeks of promotion of the Pahlawan Lansia competition, hundreds have registered to be part of the competition. These candidates will undergo interviews and pass a screening to go through the next stage. The announcement of a total of 10 winners, one from each district, will take place in June 2022. The Pahlawan Lansia winner’s role is a valuable resource person, these heroes are the community heroes, inspiring others and endorsing collective actions to encourage safe access to COVID-19 vaccination for the elderly.