"The government has conducted several activities to obtain vaccines. This is also the result of diplomacy conducted by the foreign affairs minister, under which Sinovac is preparing 30 million early-stage vaccines and 290 million for next year,” Hartarto stated in Jakarta on Thursday.
Minister Airlangga believes the target will be achieved through 10 sources including Sinovac, G-42 / Wuhan Institute Biological Products / Sinopharm, Astra Zaneca, GAVI / CEPI, and CanSino Biological Inc / Beijing Institute Technology.
BioNTech / Fosun Pharma / Pfizer, Modena / NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infection Diseases, Acturus Therapeutics / Duke-NUS, Genexine Korea, and Red and White Vaccine will also facilitate realization of the target.
“The Astra Zeneca’s phase III clinical trial for COVID-19 is temporarily suspended. CanSino, through Biofarma and Kalbefarma, is willing to provide 20 million to 30 million vaccines," Minister Airlangga stated.
The minister noted that only one injection is required for the COVID-19 vaccine, sourced from CanSino, while those procured from others require up to two shots.
On the other hand, he emphasized that if development of the vaccine-making process from various sources is taken into account, 30 million new vaccines are estimated to be obtained as early as the first quarter of next year.
"From various schedules, it appears that the fastest is 30 million in the first quarter, while the rest will be in the second and third quarters," Airlanggga explained.
The minister believes that the pandemic will protract until next year accompanied by countermeasures, both through the production of vaccines and medicines.
"Most of the drugs can be produced," Airlangga stated.
Research and Technology Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro had earlier projected that the locally developed COVID-19 Red and White vaccine would be ready for mass production in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021.
"It is expected that in the fourth quarter of 2021, we can start mass production of the vaccine. This will complement the other COVID-19 vaccine produced in collaboration with foreign companies, including Sinovac (China) and G42 (UAE)," Brodjonegoro remarked after reporting updates on development of the Red and White vaccine to President Joko Widodo at the Bogor Presidential Palace, Bogor, West Java, on Wednesday.
The Red and White vaccine was developed by a domestic consortium based on a virus strain found in Indonesia and named after Indonesia's national flag.
Before its mass production in the fourth quarter of 2021, the vaccine should have undergone several stages: animal testing by the end of 2020 and production formulation for clinical test stages 1, 2, and 3 in early 2021.
The National Agency of Food and Drug Control (BPOM) will check the product safety. Once the agency declares the vaccine as safe and can maintain body immunity, PT Bio Farma Persero will commence the mass production.
"Hopefully, the vaccination can be conducted soon," he remarked.
As the vaccine was developed based on a virus strain found in Indonesia, it is expected to work effectively to improve the immunity of Indonesians against the SARS CoV-2 virus.
Development of the vaccine, involving the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, several universities, and research institutions, has reached 50-percent completion.
EDITED BY INE
