The government has established bilateral and multilateral partnerships to procure Covid-19 vaccines.
By
KOMPAS TEAM
·5 minutes read
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The government has established bilateral and multilateral partnerships to procure Covid-19 vaccines. Domestic vaccine companies have also collaborated with global vaccine producers that have entered the clinical trial phase, including the United States’ Pfizer.
Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said on Tuesday (24/11/2020) at the closing of the CEO Networking 2020 event in Jakarta that PT Bio Farma (Persero) and Pfizer had agreed to collaborate in Covid-19 vaccine production.
On Monday (23/11) evening, said Luhut, the agreement had been followed up with Pfizer and the US health ministry through a video conference. Also attending the video conference was Deputy Minister for State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Budi Gunadi Sadikin and representatives of the Food and Drug Agency (BPOM).
"The US government is willing to help meet Indonesia\'s vaccine needs," said Luhut.
We have contacted eight vaccine producers to provide suitable options for procurement in Indonesia
Budi Gunadi Sadikin, who is also the chairman of the National Economic Recovery Task Force (PEN), added that his party had contacted almost all of the prospective developers of the Covid-19 vaccine in the world.
The developers being contacted refer to the World Health Organization (WHO) list. Later, the final decision on the selected vaccine along with the price and type will be submitted to the Health Ministry. Globally, there are now 11 vaccine candidates that have entered the clinical trial stage. "We have contacted eight vaccine producers to provide suitable options for procurement in Indonesia," he said.
Apart from bilateral terms, Indonesia is taking a multilateral approach to getting vaccines by actively contributing to world organizations.
Dissemination of information
Separately, the chief executive of the Committee for Mitigating Covid-19 and National Economic Recovery, who is also the SOE Minister, Erick Thohir, said that the dissemination of information about the preparation for Covid-19 vaccination continues. The new things about the vaccination are also conveyed in a transparent manner by involving various relevant experts.
"Covid-19 vaccination must be prepared as well as possible because this deals with public safety. Data is one of the focuses being prepared. With good data, implementation will run smoother," he said.
Erick explained that there were five main objectives for the development of an information system on the vaccination data infrastructure. The objectives include integrating data from various sources, filtering data on priority vaccine recipients, building vaccine registration applications, mapping vaccine supply and distribution, and monitoring the vaccination results.
In the first stage, the target of vaccine recipients will be people aged 18-59 years. This provision is adjusted to the results of clinical trials of a number of vaccines. Citizens who receive vaccines from the government program include health workers, TNI (Indonesian Military), Polri (National Police), and underprivileged people who receive contribution assistance under the National Health Insurance-Indonesian Health Card program.
The selection of the Covid-19 vaccine takes into account the readiness of facilities and infrastructure. "The most likely is the vaccine candidate from Sinovac, because the storage temperature is 2-8 degrees Celsius. With the infrastructure we have, it is possible to do so," he said.
Meanwhile, Pfizer\'s vaccine candidate requires a storage temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius, while the vaccine candidate made by Moderna must be stored at minus 20 degrees Celsius.
The director of the Digital Business of PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, Fajrin Rasyid, said that data on Covid-19 vaccine recipients will be integrated from various data sources to prevent duplication of vaccine recipients and so that vaccinations are right on target.
According to the director of Digital Healthcare of PT Bio Farma, Soleh Ayubi, the plan to administer the Covid-19 vaccine with a very large coverage target requires careful preparation.
Health protocols
While waiting for the availability of Covid-19 vaccines, implementing health protocols to prevent transmission of the disease is imperative. "The government is reviewing the year-end long holiday period because based on the analysis, every long holiday during the pandemic takes its toll," said Wiku Adisasmito, the spokesman for the Covid-19 Task Force.
At present, a number of regions have experienced a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, including in North Sulawesi Province. The North Sulawesi Province Covid-19 Mitigation Task Force said that the negligence of the community in adhering to health protocols is believed to be one of the factors of the prolonged epidemic.
Meanwhile, the Yogyakarta Regional Government requested an additional 200 health workers from the Health Ministry to help treat Covid-19 patients. This is because the number of Covid-19 patients in the province continues to increase. "We are proposing an additional 200 health workers. This is in line with the needs," said the head of the Yogyakarta Health Office, Pembajun Setyaningastutie.
West Java Regional Police chief Insp. Gen. Ahmad Dofiri said there would be consequences for anyone who violated health protocols in West Java. Various legal instruments will be applied to ensnare the perpetrators, including participants in the 2020 regional elections.
Dofiri said his party would not prohibit community activities. However, they must comply with the strict health protocols.