Durian. Indonesian government has received 1.2 million doses of covid-19 vaccines from China’s pharmaceutical company Sinovac which arrived on Dec.6 evening in Jakarta, lining the effort to mitigate the pandemic in the country with the highest number of cases in Southeast Asia.
“Today, the government has received 1.2 million doses of the vaccine. This vaccine was made by Sinovac,’’ Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Dec.6, adding that it has passed clinical tests that were conducted since August in Bandung, West Java.
President said the government expected to receive a second batch of 1.8 million doses of the vaccine in January 2021.
‘’This month [Dec.], 15 million and in January [2021] 30 million doses of raw will arrive which will be processed further by Bio Farma,’’the president said, referring to state-owned pharmaceutical company that has headquarters in Bandung.
The arrival vaccines have been transported to Bandung with a truck and will be kept in Bio Farma’s storage.
“We are very grateful; thank God that the vaccine is available. It means that we can prevent the spread of the covid-19 outbreak. However, vaccination still requires steps from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM),’’ President Widodo explained.
BPOM should examine the expediency of the vaccine prior to its distribution. Previously the agency has said that covid-19 vaccine from Sinovac was halal.
However, health protocol should still maintain and apply though vaccine for covid-19 is available now.
