Covid-19 vaccines are vulnerable to being commercialized in the midst of the health crisis. This has the potential to hinder vaccination efforts to overcome the pandemic.
By
AGNES THEODORA/AHMAD ARIF/DEONISIA ARLINTA
·5 minutes read
AP PHOTO/NG HAN GUAN
Syringes of SARS CoV-2 Vaccine for COVID-19 produced by SinoVac are displayed during a media tour of its factory in Beijing on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. A Chinese health official said Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, that the country\'s annual production capacity for coronavirus vaccines will top 1 billion doses next year, following an aggressive government support program for construction of new factories.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The government\'s plan to hold an independent vaccination program makes the Covid-19 vaccines vulnerable to being made as a commodity. In the midst of a health crisis like this, vaccines should become public goods that can be accessed by all levels of society. An inclusive and effective vaccination program can restore the economy more quickly.
Executive Director of the Institute for Development on Economics and Finance Tauhid Ahmad said Monday (14/12/2020) that in the midst of the current health crisis and poor data collection in Indonesia, vaccines should be provided free of charge and evenly so as not to trigger new socio-economic problems.
As reported, the government has prepared two vaccination programs, namely the free government-assisted vaccines and independent or paid vaccines. Of the target of 107 million people to be immunized, 30 percent or 32 million people will be given free vaccines and 70 percent or 75 million people access the independent or paid scheme.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated social disparities. The paid vaccination program has the potential to widen this gap. "Now all levels of society have the same fate. If it is not made free, it will trigger social jealousy among those who are able and not and the recovery will take longer because there are residents who are not vaccinated," said Tauhid.
The experience during the past 10 months dealing with Covid-19 gives many lessons. The chaotic data collection has made the distribution of social assistance programs often not optimal. There are those who are the most affected and badly in need are left untouched.
Kompas
An NHS pharmacy technician holds a vial as she simulates the preparation of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, during a staff training session ahead of the vaccine\'s rollout next week, at the Royal Free Hospital in London on December 4, 2020.
On the other hand, it is suspected that the circulation of a part of the large amount of money in these programs has been misused by corrupt public officials. If the vaccines are commercialized, Tauhid expressed worries that the same problem will re-emerge with a greater risk. The distribution of free vaccines to the community will not be on target, while rent-seeking is rampant in the vaccine procuring projects.
"Fake vaccines have the potential to appear in the market. Poor people who are not touched by government assistance and cannot afford vaccines can fall desperate because they need them quickly. The impact is more dangerous," he said.
Head of the Economics Department of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Yose Rizal Damuri said that vaccines should be made public goods. Moreover, there is only one type available, namely the vaccine from Sinovac Biotec, so the business logic for determining prices on vaccines does not make sense.
All of the 3 million finished doses of Sinovac vaccine and 45 million bulk doses, which will arrive early next year, will both be used for the free vaccine or the independent vaccine programs. "At least, the majority of vaccines must be free and access should not be difficult for the public. On the other hand, if one is able to pay, go ahead, but it cannot be monopolized only by one type of vaccine," said Yose.
Economic recovery
It is believed that economic recovery will be achieved more quickly if access to vaccines is provided evenly and their effectiveness is proven rather than having a paid vaccine program that can only be accessed by a part of the people, with an untested level of efficacy.
"The efficacy of the vaccines purchased must be tested because if not, it will be more dangerous. People who do not believe can refuse to be vaccinated because its efficacy has not been proven. Let alone if they have to pay for themselves for a vaccine that is not necessarily effective," he said.
INDONESIAN PRESIDENTIAL PALACE / AFP
This handout photo taken on December 6, 2020 and released by the Indonesian Presidential Palace shows workers unloading the 1.2 million dosage of covid-19 vaccine made by Sinovac, upon its arrival from Beijing at the Jakarta International Airport in Tangerang.
Tauhid added that the government\'s fiscal capacity should be sufficient to eliminate the cost of vaccines for the public if the government wants to give priority. The budget for mitigating Covid-19 and national economic recovery in 2020 that has not been absorbed can be allocated for procurement, distribution and vaccination.
In the 2021 State Budget, the government has allocated a health budget of Rp 169.7 trillion with Rp 60.5 trillion of which is for the procurement of vaccines. In comparison, the health budget allocation is smaller than the infrastructure budget, which rises drastically by 47.2 percent to Rp 417.4 trillion.
Assuming that the price of one dose of vaccine is Rp 450,000, it would take Rp 144 trillion to buy 320 million doses of vaccine (two vaccinations) for 160 million people. "So, our fiscal capacity can still afford free vaccinations," he said.
Vaccine production in 2021 is estimated to meet only half of global needs and most of it has been ordered by developed countries. "Next year\'s global vaccine production capacity will be a maximum of 2 billion doses, while the Earth\'s population needs 4 billion vaccines. We have to be more realistic, not to mention that there are many other infrastructure challenges in Indonesia," said molecular biologist Ahmad Rusdan Handoyo Utomo.
The challenges of the health infrastructure in administering vaccines, among others, are prioritization, vaccine choices, data collection challenges, identity falsification and vaccine falsification, as well as cold chains for storage and distribution.
Meanwhile, Singapore approved the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as quoted by asia.nikkei.com, said the first dose would arrive in late December and other vaccines would arrive in the coming months.
