Many Countries Offer PMK Vaccines, Minister Of Agriculture Syahrul Chooses Own Production: We Can Make It

JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Syahrul Yasin Limpo revealed that many countries have offered the Mouth and Nail Disease (FMD) vaccine to Indonesia. Even so, Syahrul chose to produce his own vaccine.

"What we guarantee is that there will be no sales of vaccines from outside because many have offered them, like yesterday's COVID-19. We said no, we can make it," he said during a Working Meeting with Commission IV DPR, Monday, May 23.

Syahrul said that since the era before the 1990s, Indonesia had produced the PMK vaccine independently. With that experience, said Syahrul, the supply of vaccines would not be a problem. Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture has found a serotype of the FMD virus in Indonesia with the code O/ME-SA/Ind-2001/e.

However, admitted Syahrul, there are obstacles faced for the manufacture of PMK vaccine, namely the limited production capacity. Even so, according to Syahrul, this is not an obstacle.

"Indeed there are limited technicalities, we will look for another budget for it," he explained.

Syahrul said the Veterinary Farma Center (Pusvetma) in Surabaya was concentrating on making vaccines for the FMD virus. He said, when the vaccine is ready, mass vaccination is ready to be carried out.

"Pusvetma for vaccines is targeted to be completed in 4 months or before August 2022. Next, a mass vaccination will be carried out by livestock populations that have the potential to be affected by FMD," he said.

According to Syahrul, the government is indeed very careful in determining its attitude and response in handling the FMD outbreak. Because, the response issued will definitely have a big impact on the continuation of livestock business in Indonesia.

Therefore, Syahrul asked Commission IV of the DPR as a partner of the Ministry of Agriculture to give time to overcome the FMD outbreak. He believes Indonesia will be successful in dealing with the epidemic.

"Once again, because this is a virus, we must be aware that its development is very fast. Give me a chance, I'll just be escorted, hopefully this time as it has been. I can prove that we can control this, even though it's quite dangerous, once again it's quite dangerous," he said.