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JAKARTA, Oct. 13 (The Straits Times / ANN): Indonesia aims to start administering coronavirus vaccines early next month relying on supply from Chinese pharmaceutical companies as the world’s fourth-most populous country battles a health crisis that may result in your first recession in more than two decades.
The Coordinating Ministry of Maritime and Investment Affairs said yesterday that CanSino Biologics, the first Chinese company to test a Covid-19 vaccine in humans, will supply 100,000 doses next month.
Sinovac Biotech, a China-based company, will supply three million doses in December.
The firm has been working with Indonesia’s state pharmaceutical company Bio Farma since April on a Covid-19 vaccine.
Another five million doses will come, starting next month, from a partnership between the Chinese state pharmaceutical company Sinopharm and the United Arab Emirates technology company G42.
The three vaccines, which are in the third and final phase of clinical trials, have received authorization for emergency use from China, the ministry said in a statement.
“Health workers, paramedics, public officials, military and police, educational personnel of all levels will be the first to receive the vaccines,” added Health Minister Dr. Terawan Agus Putranto in the statement.
Indonesia began training health officials at community clinics to administer Covid-19 vaccines since late last month.
Dr. Terawan said that the vaccines will be available for sale later, but will remain free to low-income groups.
The statement follows a trip to Kunming, China, last week by senior Indonesian officials. The delegation included Dr. Terawan, the head of the country’s food and drug agency, Dr. Penny K. Lukito, Bio Farma’s chief executive officer, Honesti Basyir, and Luhut Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister of Maritime Affairs and of Investment.
Luhut, who was appointed by President Joko Widodo last month to lead the Covid-19 fight in Indonesia, held a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
During the visit, China and Indonesia announced agreements to work on the research, production and distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Last Saturday, Luhut quoted Wang as saying that Indonesia has the largest capacity for vaccine production in Southeast Asia.
Bio Farma, which produces vaccines against polio and BCG, mainly used against tuberculosis, will begin production of the Covid-19 vaccine next month.
The Sinovac-Bio Farma vaccine is based on an inactivated whole virus, a mature vaccine technology that has been used to produce vaccines against influenza and polio.
Rather, many pharmaceutical companies are working on next-generation platforms that involve the use of the DNA or RNA of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
If the ongoing trial is successful, Bio Farma plans to increase production to its maximum capacity of 250 million doses per year. – The Straits Times / Asian News Network
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