Image: Sinovac vaccine on the way. Credit: sciencemag.org
The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan stated yesterday that the implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination in Indonesia would go ahead in the third week of December.
He said that currently the vaccine testing, which is being performed in Bandung, West Java, from a collaboration between Chinese company, Sinovac and Indonesian company, Bio Farma, has entered the third phase of clinical trials. Previously scheduled for release in November, Luhut said the Indonesian government was still waiting for the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approval from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).
“I think (the vaccination will be administered to) around 9 million people in specific areas which we believe have contributed greatly to the high number of Covid-19 cases,” said Luhut.
“In Jakarta, for example, there are a number of hot spots that we believe contributed greatly to the COVID-19 case numbers and we will give them the shot,” he continued.
Good news for Bali.
Through the vaccination program, Luhut continued, the government is targeting to make Bali a green zone in early 2021.
“We hope Bali will become a green zone early next year because we will start vaccinations on the island from the third week of December,” he said.
During October, Luhut revealed that the Covid-19 vaccination program would not be carried out in the second week of November as originally planned.
“Earlier the president called me. At first we wanted to (roll it out), as we had the goods, but the plan for the second week of November could not be reached, not because the goods were not ready, but because the Drug and Food Supervisor Board has their rules and steps that must be followed,” he said.
“And the President does not want to run from those procedures. He related at the time, security is number one,” he continued.
Other points. (From Detik.com)
The brand of the vaccine is Sinovac, a biotech company that develops vaccines from China.
They developed the Corona vaccine with the inactivation method. Inactivation is a way of making a vaccine using an inactive version of a particular disease-causing virus or bacteria.
The phase 3 clinical trials of the Sinovac corona vaccine began in Bandung on August 11. The clinical trials were conducted with local company Bio Farma.
Last September, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto revealed the price of the Sinovac vaccine could reach USD 20.
“The Sinovac vaccine price will be between US $ 10-US $ 20,” said Airlangga during a Virtual 100 Economist Workshop, which was broadcast live on CNBC Indonesia, Tuesday (15/9).
It is not stated anywhere who is paying for that, the government or the people. Ed
