We Need Greater Vaccine Variety

KOMPAS/ADRIAN FAJRIANSYAH

This is a situation during Covid-19 vaccination at Istora Senayan, Jakarta, on Friday (26/2/2021). Athletes participated in the campaign on the importance of vaccination. The athletes have not experienced any negative effects after getting a vaccine shot. They are happy to receive the vaccine because it increases immunity and confidence for training and competition. They hope the vaccination marks a start for the recovery of sports in Indonesia, mainly for national competition.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus mutation, which has produced a number of new virus variants, must be carefully watched out for. Further research is needed to determine the efficacy of vaccines against the new virus variants. More Covid-19 vaccines need to be provided.

The mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has become a serious challenge to various Covid-19 vaccination. Further research is needed to assess the impact of these virus mutations as well as the efficacy of the vaccines.

Also read: Indonesians Get More Vaccine Options in Inoculation Drive

Meanwhile, as part of efforts to increase options through the availability of Covid-19 vaccines, the country will carry out the phase III clinical trials of the Anhui Covid-19 vaccine candidate in Jakarta and Bandung, with 2,000 respondents involved in the two regions. The trial in Jakarta will be carried out by University of Indonesia’s (UI) School of Medicine in collaboration with state-run Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital and the Jakarta Health Agency.

The certification is carried out to ensure the vaccine’s quality.

The country has also increased the availability and variety of Covid-19 vaccines by procuring the one made by AstraZeneca, which currently awaits Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) certification before it can be used in the national inoculation program. The certification is carried out to ensure the vaccine’s quality.

“The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is classified as an RNA virus, continues to mutate. Although most of the mutations are only slightly different from the initial virus, three virus strains have become a concern, one of which is B.1.1.7, which has already been detected in Indonesia,” said Ari Fahrial Syam, dean of UI’s School of Medicine.

According to Ari, the B.1.1.7 variant, which was originally discovered in the United Kingdom, has spread to 94 countries, including Indonesia, where six cases have been detected so far. Meanwhile, the other new variants that are dangerous and yet to be detected in Indonesia are the B.1.351, which was originally discovered in Africa and has been reported in 48 countries, and the B.1.1.28.1 or P.1 from Brazil, which has been reported in 26 countries.

Also read: Fulfilling the Pledge to Execute Vaccination

In a number of studies, the B.1.351 and the P.1 variants can evade antibodies and reduce the efficacy of various vaccines, including those produced by Sinovac, as affirmed in a study by William M. de Souza (2021) in Brazil. “People who are injected with the vaccine twice and still test positive for Covid-19 need sequencing to find out whether they are infected with the old or a new virus strain,” he said.

AFP/NELSON ALMEIDA

Employees work on the production line of CoronaVac, Sinovac Biotech\'s vaccine against COVID-19 coronavirus at the Butantan biomedical production center, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on January 14, 2021. - Sao Paulo state is due to begin immunizing its 12 million citizens from January 25. Beijing has already sent 10.7 million Coronavac doses and the supplies needed to make another 40 million doses. The health ministry, though, has yet to divulge when it will launch a nationwide immunization program.

According to the sequencing already carried out, no new virus strains that trigger infection have been found in vaccinated people. “It [the infection] could be because the antibodies that have been formed are yet to be optimal. Therefore, implementing health protocol is still important,” he said.

Also read: Virus Mutation Becomes an Obstacle for COVID-19 Vaccinations

As of now, the response of the Anhui Covid-19 vaccine candidate to the new virus variants is still unknown. “It is still possibly effective against the B.1.1.7 variant. However, if more mutations are [discovered], the vaccine may not be able to prevent it. We, therefore, are racing against the clock to speed up vaccination,” Ari said.

The vaccine, thus, needs to be adjusted. The vaccine can be unresponsive for one person, but suitable for others.

Andri Lubis, a representative of Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, said that the more research was conducted, the better the vaccine would be. “This virus continues to mutate. The vaccine, thus, needs to be adjusted. The vaccine can be unresponsive for one person, but suitable for others. Therefore, the more research conducted, the better the vaccine would be. This includes the examination of how many antibody titers can protect someone from Covid-19,” Andri said.

KOMPAS/LARASWATI ARIADNE ANWAR

Elderly people wait in line outside the Health Ministry training center on Jl. Hang Jebat in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, on Tuesday. They received a message broadcast on WhatsApp notifying recipients of free vaccinations for elderly people in the area. However, it turned out that the free vaccine was being offered only to elderly people with South Jakarta-registered ID cards and that the number was limited to 1,000 people per day.

Meanwhile, efforts to trace close contacts of those who are infected with the B.1.1.7 variant continue. Thirty Palembang residents were examined by the Health Ministry’s Research and Development Agency to map out the possible spread of the B.1.1.7 variant. The contact tracing was conducted for the close contacts of a resident infected with the new virus variant in December 2020.

Approval

In regard to the availability of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the BPOM will continue to conduct physical examination at Bio Farma. “We will carry out vaccine sampling to issue a lot release certificate,” said BPOM head Penny K Lukito during a press conference held to announce the agency’s authorization for the emergency use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

According to Penny, the issuance of a lot release certificate is necessary before the vaccines can be widely used by people to ensure the quality of the vaccine. Moreover, the vaccine must also obtain the BPOM’s approval to enter Indonesia. The BPOM has already greenlighted the vaccine’s entry on 6 March 2021.

Also read: Vaccination Information for Elderly People Limited

A batch of 1.1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine produced by AstraZeneca arrived in Indonesia on Monday. The vaccines were acquired through the Covax facility and bilateral mechanism. “The AstraZeneca vaccine has already been approved in several countries, such as the UK, the European Union and Canada, as well as several Islamic countries, such as Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates,” Penny said.

FRANCIS KOKOROKO/UNICEF VIA AP

This photograph released by UNICEF Wednesday Feb. 24, 2021 shows the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines distributed by the COVAX Facility arriving at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana. Ghana has become the first country in the world to receive vaccines acquired through the United Nations-backed COVAX initiative with a delivery of 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India.

According to the result of the vaccine’s safety test, the AstraZeneca vaccine is proven to be safe and well-tolerated. This vaccine stimulates the formation of antibodies in adults and the elderly, with an average of 32 times of antibody titer increase after a second dose in adults aged 18 to 59. As for the elderly, the antibody titer increases 21 times. The vaccine’s efficacy stands at 62.1 percent, which is above the World Health Organization’s (WHO) standard of 50 percent.

“Based on these results and consideration of [the vaccine’s] risks and benefits, the BPOM authorized the vaccine’s emergency use on 22 February 2021 under the number EUA2158100143A1,” Penny said.

UI’s School of Medicine professor Tjandra Yoga Aditama, who is also a member of the Independent Allocation Vaccine Group (IAVG) appointed by the WHO, said Indonesia was one of the countries that had received the Covid-19 vaccine through the multilateral Covax facility.

As of 9 March 2021, there were 6,389 new confirmed Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 1,392,945.

Separately, National Covid-19 Task Force head Doni Monardo said the biggest challenges in handling the ongoing pandemic was the country’s death rate of 2.7 percent, which is 0.48 percentage points higher than the global death rate. As of 9 March 2021, there were 6,389 new confirmed Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 1,392,945. Furthermore, 210 more people have died of the disease, bringing the death toll to 37,757.

Also read: Help the Elderly Access COVID-19 Vaccines

Meanwhile, fraud related to sales of Covid-19 vaccines on the so-called dark web as well as sales of fake vaccine was uncovered within the last month.

NICOLAS MAETERLINCK / BELGA / AFP

Medical staff members stand in front of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 disease vaccine delivery as it has been received for the first time at the UZ Leuven hospital, Leuven, on December 26, 2020 as begins a vaccination programme in EU countries. (Photo by Nicolas MAETERLINCK / BELGA / AFP)

Browsing through nine popular trading sites on the dark web through Tor, there are three sellers claiming to sell Covid-19 vaccines, including those made by Pfizer.

(This article was translated by Camilia Adianti).