Indonesia Makes Its Own Vaccine, SOEs Minister: Merah Putih Vaccine Starts Production in 2022

Last updated on November 24th, 2021 at 09:08 am

Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and Chief Executive of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and Economic Recovery (PCPEN), Erick Thohir, hope that in 2022 the Merah Putih vaccine can start to be produced.

“From the information obtained, God willing, clinical trials I to III of the Red and White vaccine can run next year so that in 2022 we can start producing the Merah Putih vaccine,” said Erick Thohir, Saturday, September 12.

According to Erick, the presence of a domestically made COVID-19 vaccine so that Indonesia does not depend on vaccines produced from abroad.

In developing the Merah Putih vaccine, the government is working with Bio Farma, the Eijkman Institute, and the Agency of Health Research and Development (Balitbangkes) of the Ministry of Health.

The government has also opened cooperation with several universities related to the development of the Merah Putih vaccine.

Erick also said that an individual may be given the vaccine more than once. If the current population of Indonesia is around 270 million, the number of vaccines needed is at least 540 million vaccines.

There are two types of coronavirus vaccination programs that Erick will propose to the government and the House of Representatives.

The proposed vaccine program consists of government assistance and independent vaccines that are self-financed by the people.

Government-assisted assistance programs will receive funds from the Indonesian State Budget (APBN). In this program, vaccines will be given to lower-income people participating in the Social Security Administrator for Health (BPJS Kesehatan).

Meanwhile, independent vaccines will be funded by the people themselves. According to Erick, this was proposed after considering the condition of the state’s money being drained all over for the handling of the coronavirus and its effects.

“We hope that people who have money can help state finances by doing independent vaccinations, aka not for free,” said Erick in a scientific oration at Padjadjaran University, Friday, September 11.

Related Article : https://www.theasianaffairs.com/indonesia/2020/09/04/indonesia-will-provide-free-covid-19-vaccine-for-93-million-people-citizens-under-18-years-old-carried-out-on-next-phase/