Jakarta hopes to hasten vaccine production
JAKARTA: Indonesia hopes to hasten the production of the Covid-19 vaccine and begin mass immunisation before the end of the year.
Realistically, however, it would probably happen by next year, said the Covid-19 Mitigation and National Economic Recovery committee chairman Erick Thohir, news portal Tempo.co reported.
“We have consulted the IDI (Indonesian Medical Association) and PPNI (the Indonesian Nurses Association) on the immunisation. InsyaAllah, it will be held early next year. If possible, it will be in December, but it is predicted to be early next year,” said Erick, who is also state-owned enterprises minister, on Thursday.
Once the vaccine has been produced, priority would be given to 1.5 million health workers, namely doctors, nurses and midwives, including those in the Indonesian Military and National Police, in the vaccination programme’s preliminary phase.
This is because they are regarded as frontliners of the Covid-19 crisis.
“They will be our strength to later establish mass immunisation at the beginning of next year, which we are striving to expedite,” said Erick.
Indonesia, through Bio Farma, is running the last phase of clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccine candidates in collaboration with China’s pharmaceutical firm Sinovac.
Erick said vaccinations for the public would be divided into two types, subsidised and non-subsidised.
The government would provide subsidised vaccines for people in need, such as beneficiaries of the premium payment assistance of the Health Care and Social Security Agency or BPJS Kesehatan.