Luhut: Bio Farma And Pfizer Will Work Together To Make A COVID-19 Vaccine

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan stated that Indonesia has collaborated with the vaccine producer Pfizer from the United States. This cooperation was discussed when Luhut met Donald Trump and US Vice President Mike Pence at Geduh Putih United States.

"Vice President Pence and I talked for almost 15 minutes. We talked about the issue of vaccines and America, the president wants to help with vaccines," he said, in an event entitled "CEO Networking 2020: Building Resilience to Economic Recovery", Tuesday, November 24.

Furthermore, Luhut admitted that there was an agreement between Pfizer and Bio Farma to collaborate on a COVID-19 vaccine.

"Last night we followed up with a video call with the under secretary of health and with Deputy Minister Budi Sadikin and BPOM for them to make Pfizer cooperate with our Bio Farma. So Indonesia is a good part," he said.

Previously, Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Penny Lukito said vaccine makers Pfizer and BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Sputnik V (Russia) had communicated with BPOM to conduct clinical trials in Indonesia.

According to the final clinical trial data for the COVID-19 vaccine made by BioNTech and Pfizer, this vaccine is up to 95 percent effective against infection with the COVID-19 virus in the body. The two have also applied for emergency use permits to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The results of this vaccine clinical trial are considered very promising because it is the highest level of effectiveness achieved compared to other vaccines, which is only around 60 to 70 percent.

This vaccine requires two doses and is estimated to cost US $ 20 per vaccine dose. The two companies target to produce 1.3 billion doses of vaccine next year.