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Jakarta, CNN Indonesia –
National Agency for Food and Drug Control (BPOM) have not yet recommended the use of vaccines from British pharmaceutical companies, AstraZeneca, for the national vaccination program.
BPOM Director Penny K. Lukito said her party had not yet finished conducting an analytical study with the National Expert on Immunization (ITAGI), the National Drug Evaluation Committee, and the National Committee on Post-Follow-Up Events. Immunization (Komnas KIPI).
“BPOM is also communicating with WHO and the Medicines Authority of other countries to obtain complete and updated results of research and studies on the safety of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. While it is still in the review process, is recommended that AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine not be used, “he said through a press release to CNNIndonesia.com, Wednesday (3/17).
Penny explained that the deferral of use occurred after the suspension of the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in 15 countries in Europe.
This condition occurred after the incidence of blood clots in several countries. BPOM, Penny continued, will act under the principle of prudence while the integral investigation process of the case is carried out.
However, Penny emphasized that the AstraZeneca vaccine emergency use permit (US) that was issued on March 9 was not revoked.
He also gave an example of world pharmaceutical authorities in the UK, Sweden, Australia and Canada who continued to administer vaccines despite having received information about serious cases that were suspected of being related to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“Because the benefits of vaccines outweigh the risks. This is based on scientific evidence from clinical trials where there is no indication of a link between the vaccine and the incidence of blood clots,” he explained.
Additionally, Penny also emphasized that the 1,113,600 AstraZeneca vaccines that arrived in Indonesia on March 8 were different from the batch of vaccines thought to have caused the blood clotting incident.
Penny said that AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine with the batch numbers in question, namely ABV5300, ABV3025 and ABV2856, did not enter Indonesia. However, he admitted that his party continued to work on the principle of prudence.
“The batch of AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine products that have entered Indonesia is different from the batch of products that are suspected of causing blood clots and are produced in different production facilities,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has decided to temporarily suspend the distribution and use of AstraZeneca on Monday (3/15). It is known, up to 1,113,600 vaccines for which AstraZeneca arrived at the Soekarno-Hatta airport in Tangerang, Banten, last Monday (8/3). The arrival of the vaccine this time was recorded as the sixth stage of acceptance of the vaccine in Indonesia.
The delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine is known through the multilateral cooperation scheme of the COVAX Facility of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). The facility is a vaccine development collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO) and GAVI.
Editor’s Note: The editors change the title of this article from the previous ‘BPOM does not recommend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine’ to ‘Still under evaluation, BPOM did not recommend the AstraZeneca vaccine’.
(khr / pris)
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