Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia has placed an order for 50 million of the 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine that British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca PLC has committed to supply to the country.
“The health minister, the foreign minister, and the state-owned enterprises minister have departed (for the UK) to prepare (for the handing over of) 50 million doses that have been ordered and paid (for),” chief of the Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery (PC-PEN), Airlangga Hartarto, said at an online press conference on Monday.
The Indonesian government has set aside Rp3.7 trillion as down payment for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines this year.
The country has also secured a commitment for the supply of 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Cansino, Sinovac, Sinopharm, and AstraZeneca this year. Besides, Indonesian state-owned pharmaceutical firm Bio Farma is also preparing to supply COVID-19 vaccines.
Hartarto said the government has issued a presidential regulation on the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines, which is projected to reach an estimated 160 million doses. The inoculation of citizens will be carried out in stages until 2022, he added.
“We must secure the procurement of vaccines because 215 countries are competing for the vaccine. I think 160 million doses will be secure (sufficient) for the two phases of vaccination,” the minister said.
As two doses of the vaccines will have to be administered to citizens, the requirement for the vaccines is projected to reach 320 million doses, he added.
During immunization, priority will be given to medical workers, paramedics, health officers, and military members, police personnel, and law enforcers, whose number is estimated at 3.5 million.
Next in priority will be officials with central government apparatuses, social figures, religious figures, and regional government apparatuses, who number about 5 million, and teachers and lecturers, whose number totals 4.3 million.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, and Health Ministry's team members have left for the United Kingdom and Switzerland to explore potential cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine procurement and supply.
“The main objectives behind this official visit include securing the commitment of other sources to boost bilateral cooperation in obtaining COVID-19 vaccine supplies,” Marsudi stated during an online press conference that ANTARA joined from Jakarta on Monday. (INE)
EDITED BY INE
