Graduated By BPOM, Local Made Vaccine IndoVac Can Finally Be Used As COVID-19 Primary Vaccination

The IndoVac vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Bio Farma. (ANTARA)

BANDUNG - IndoVac, the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Bio Farma, can be used as a booster vaccine for people aged 18 years and over who have received Pfizer's vaccine injection in primary vaccination.

Bio Farma President Director Honesti Basyir said that the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) had granted permission to use the IndoVac vaccine emergency for booster vaccines for residents aged 18 years and over who received Pfizer's primary vaccine.

"This is based on a letter issued by BPOM on April 21, 2023," Honesti said, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, May 2.

Honesti said that Bio Farma has also obtained an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the IndoVac vaccine as a booster vaccine for residents aged 18 years and over who received injections of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinovac and AstraZeneca for primary vaccination.

Thus, the IndoVac vaccine can now be used as a booster vaccine for people aged 18 years and over who have received primary COVID-19 vaccine injections made by Sinovac, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer.

Honesti said that this shows that the IndoVac vaccine has met the requirements for safety, quality, and efficacy and is in line with global vaccine products.

The results of the primary heterologous booster clinical trials of Sinovac, AztraZeneca, and Pfizer showed the IndoVac vaccine was safe to use.

The post-immunization follow-up incident (KIPI) that appears the most pain at the injection site and muscle aches are mild.

The use of IndoVac as a heterologous booster for the primary vaccines of Sinovac, AztraZeneca, and Pfizer according to the test results can increase antibody titer and neutralizing titer against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Clinical trial results also show that the IndoVac vaccine has a good immunogenicity and safety profile as a booster dose for people receiving primary doses of Sinovac, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer vaccines.

In addition, Honesti said, the IndoVac vaccine has an additional advantage because it has already obtained a halal certificate from the Halal Product Guarantee Administration Agency (BPJPH). The Indonesian Ulema Council has also issued a fatwa regarding the halalness of the vaccine product.

"So that the products can be accepted by all residents of the world. Halal certification is one of IndoVac's advantages in the global market," Honesti said.

According to government data on May 1, 2023, there were still 13,880 active cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia.

Therefore, the public is asked to remain aware of the transmission of the disease. The application of health protocols and the implementation of vaccinations to booster doses can reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19.

IndoVac is a COVID-19 vaccine based on protein recombinant subunit technology that can be used as an active immunization of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.