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The Indonesian government has initiated various efforts to ensure access to a Covid-19 vaccine.
Coordinating Economy Minister Airlangga Hartarto, who also leads the national economic recovery and Covid-19 response team, said in a virtual meeting on Monday that the government was aiming to secure 320 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.
When asked about its halal status, Airlangga explained that the government had consulted with the Ulema Council of Indonesia (MUI) to make sure the vaccine would receive halal certification.
“[We have discussed it] with MUI and insya Allah [God Willing] the vaccine will be halal, ”he said. The halal status of potential Covid-19 vaccines has been of great concern to many.
Earlier this month, Muslim vice president and cleric Ma’ruf Amin said that the possible Covid-19 vaccine that the government is currently developing does not have to be halal.
Vice Presidential spokesman Masduki Baidowi said Maruf’s statement was made during a meeting with the coordinating minister for Maritime Affairs and Investments, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, on progress in developing the candidate vaccine currently being developed by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac in association with the state pharmaceutical company PT Bio. Pharma.
Tempo.co reported on Monday that the Covid-19 Vaccine Inspection Team, comprising the Indonesian Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), the Ministry of Health, MUI, and representatives of PT Bio Farma, would fly to China on October 14 to inspect the quality and halal status of candidate vaccines for Sinovac and Cansino.
“The halal status of Sinovac and Cansino [potential] the vaccines will be guaranteed through MUI that participates in the data investigation process, ”said on Monday the president director of Bio Farma, Honesti Basyir, in a statement.
Regarding the acquisition of the Covid-19 vaccine, Airlangga said that the government was working to ensure the supply of the vaccine in the fourth quarter of this year.
He explained that the British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca had committed to providing 100 million doses of a vaccine to Indonesia.
[[nid:494245]]He added that the Minister of Health, Terawan Agus Putranto, the Minister of Public Enterprises, Erick Thohir, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno LP Marsudi, were currently preparing the first 50 million doses of a vaccine.
Airlangga also said that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had signed Presidential Regulation No. 99/2020 on the acquisition of vaccines. When asked about the status of the candidate vaccine currently being developed by Sinovac in partnership with Bio Farma, he replied that the result would be released in December, according to the plan.
In addition to developing vaccines, the government has also discussed the acquisition of vaccines with other pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. Based on the plans, Airlangga said it was confident that the government would have a sufficient supply of vaccines for the country.
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