Having Opened Communication with Monkeypox Vaccine Manufacturers, Bio Farma is Still Thinking About the Latest Situation

JAKARTA - President Director of PT Bio Farma, Honesti Basyir, revealed that the procurement of monkeypox vaccine or Monkeypox in Indonesia takes into account the situation of cases in the country.

"Bio Farma has just opened communication (with vaccine manufacturers), because in reality there are not many cases (in Indonesia). So what will happen with the decision of the Ministry of Health", said Honesti Basyir in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Thursday, September 29.

Based on a report from the Ministry of Health, the total suspected cases of Monkeypox in the country until September 16, 2022 amounted to 66 cases.

Of the 66 cases, 63 of them were negative, one positive case has been declared cured, and two other cases are still under laboratory examination.

These cases include those from Riau, Lampung, Banten, DKI Jakarta, Riau Islands, West Java, South Sulawesi, Central Java, Central Sulawesi, and East Java.

Globally, Monkeypox's confirmed cases are estimated at 60,394 cases in 99 countries, 22 of which are reported to have died.

The ten largest countries with monkeypox cases include Canada (1,632), United States (22,620), Colombia (1,260), Peru (1,989), Brazil (6,246), Spain (6,947), United Kingdom (3,558), Netherlands (1,199), Germany ( 3,547), France (3,785), Thailand (7), Australia (129), Singapore (16), Philippines (4), and Indonesia (1).

Bio Farma has explored the opportunity to cooperate in importing 2,000 doses of Monkeypox vaccine from the Bavarian Nordic in Denmark.

"Whether (the vaccine) will be considered something that we really have to include in Indonesia, we'll just have to wait for the Ministry of Health's decision", he said.

According to Honesti, the cooperation with the Monkeypox vaccine manufacturer is a government step to anticipate an increase in cases in Indonesia.

"If it is really needed, there is a vaccine available from Denmark. But right now there is no case in Indonesia. So now we are still communicating", he said.