Nationwide Vaccinations to Begin in January

AFP PHOTO/INDONESIAN MINISTRY OF STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES

This handout photo taken on August 4, 2020 and received on August 5 from Indonesia\'s Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) shows SOE Minister Erick Thohir (C) visiting the Bio Farma Pharmacy that will produce vaccines for COVID-19 coronavirus in Bandung, West Java.

The first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines is still waiting for government approval for distribution. A public awareness campaign should be optimally carried out to ensure success in the nationwide vaccination program.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Amid continued increases in Covid-19 transmission, the government is striving to accelerate the vaccination program. In his remarks during the handover of presidential assistance at Bogor Palace in West Java on Friday (12/18/2020), President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination program would begin in January.

“God willing, in January, we will carry out the first injections of the vaccines. We estimate that next year we will be back to normal as before. Let’s pray together that we will return to normal soon,”said the President.

Currently, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) is reviewing the emergency use authorization for the vaccines in the country.

The President is hoping that the Covid-19 vaccination will cover at least 70 percent of Indonesia\'s population or around 182 million people so that the country will be able to achieve communal immunity. However, for the time being, the first shipment is only enough for 600,000 people. Currently, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) is reviewing the emergency use authorization for the vaccines in the country.

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"I will be the first to receive the Covid-19 vaccine to show the people that being vaccinated is OK,” said the President. Considering the large number of people who will be vaccinated, the President reminded that vaccination would take time. For this reason, the vaccination is carried out in stages starting from health workers, soldiers and police, then the public.

The President also ensured that, in addition to authorization from the BPOM, vaccines will receive halal certificate from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). The vaccination is free for all people, even if they are not covered by the National Health Insurance program.

AFP/AZWAR IIPANK

This handout photo taken and released on August 11, 2020 by Presidential palace shows President Joko Widodo (C) visiting the Bio Farma Pharmacy that produce vaccines for COVID-19 coronavirus in Bandung, West Java. - Indonesia on August 11, 2020 launched human trials of a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine with some 1,600 volunteers slated to take part in the six-month study.

Meanwhile, speaking during the Kompas Collaboration Forum (KCF) discussion, which was held virtually on Friday in Jakarta, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said that the Indonesian government was working hard to ensure the availability of the Covid-19 vaccines for all Indonesian people. The government has used a diplomatic approach in order to be able to obtain Covid-19 vaccines abroad and to ensure equal access to the vaccines amid the growing competition in getting the vaccines.

A study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said that at present there would be only 2.2 billion vaccine packages available for 6 billion people in more than 150 countries and territories by the end of 2021. A total of 3.76 billion vaccine packages have been ordered by about 50 countries, including Indonesia.

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Meanwhile, a total of 1.2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines developed by Sinovac China arrived in Indonesia on 6 Dec. 2020. Additional vaccines from Sinovac are expected arrive in January 2021. Retno ensured that the government would continue to use its diplomatic relations to get vaccines from other companies abroad."It is expected that the commencement of the vaccination program will generate optimism so that our economy will soon be revived," said Retno.

The CEO of Sintesa Group, Shinta Kamdani, as a member of the KCF, said that the “balance of speed and caution” was the key in providing vaccines and conducting the vaccination programs.

The government, according to her, needs to cooperate with the private sector in conducting the vaccination program.

She hoped that the government was aware of such a challenge. The government, according to her, needs to cooperate with the private sector in conducting the vaccination program. Shinta said that the private resources are sufficient and can be utilized both in providing the vaccines and in conducting the vaccination program.

AFP/BAY ISMOYO

An employee works on the production line of COVID-19 coronavirus vaccines at the Bio Farma Pharmacy, which will produce the vaccine early next year with a production capacity of 250 million vaccines a year, in Bandung, West Java on August 12, 2020.

From the budget side, special staff to the Minister Finance Sri Mulyani, Yustinus Prastowo confirmed during the discussion the availability of the state budget to finance the vaccination program. "Let’s us monitor the use of the state budget together. Don\'t let rent-seekers to play a part,”said Prastowo.

Take care of quality

During the same event, the CEO of Kalbe Farma, Vidjongtius, said that the country’s geographical condition posed challenges in the implementation of the national vaccination program. "The quality of vaccine products and the quality of vaccine distribution are equally important. It should be ensured that the distribution will damage the quality of the vaccines, "he said.

Currently, the cold chain infrastructure in Indonesia can only be used for vaccines with temperatures of 2-8 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech, for example, must be stored at a temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius.

"Public awareness campaign , education, and communication about vaccines must also be right on target. The risk of misinformation in the public can affect public acceptance of vaccines, "said Vidjongtius.

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In line with this, PT Djarum Mutiara Diah Asmara\'s director of public affairs, as a member of KCF, suggested that the vaccination program be supported with sufficient public awareness campaign, education as well as good public communication.

Kalbe is now also developing a vaccine in collaboration with Genexine from Korea.

Also at the same event, Indofood’s director Franciscus Welirang, another KCF member questioned Kalbe Farma\'s readiness in producing vaccines. Kalbe is now also developing a vaccine in collaboration with Genexine from Korea.Separately, in an online discussion held by the National Forum, Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy said that the vaccination campaign should be proportionate. "Indeed, vaccines are good for the market, but if you go too far it will be dangerous," said Muhadjir.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Staff members of the health office at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport check the documents of a passenger, including a certificate declaring he has tested negative for COVID-19, at the airport in Tangerang, Banten, Friday (8/5/2020). Domestic flights were reopened to the public under some conditions based on a recently issued government circular.

The director of drug registration at BPOM, Lucia Rizka Andalusia, emphasized that no vaccines had so far received distribution permits from the agency because it still waited for the results of their clinical trials. For the Sinovac vaccine, in addition to the results of the phase three clinical test currently being carried out in Bandung, BPOM can also use the result of clinical tests abroad in issuing the permits.

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Senior researcher at Kompas’ Research and Development, Bestian Nainggolan said, based on the Kompas Research and Development survey (December 2020), there were around 38 percent of respondents who wanted to be vaccinated immediately for Covid-19 and 17 percent wanted to be vaccinated, but not at this time. Meanwhile, 16 percent were reluctant and 7 percent others were uninterested at all, while 22 percent of other respondents were doubtful.

The Covid-19 Handling Task Force said on Friday that new daily Covid-19 cases in Indonesia reached 6,689 cases, bringing the total number of Covid-19 cases in the country to 650,197. (LAS/TAN/AIK/BEN)