Bio Farma Starts Distributing 3 Million Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccine Throughout Indonesia

JAKARTA - PT Bio Farma began distributing three million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinovac to 34 provinces in Indonesia today. Distribution as preparation for the first phase of the vaccination program.

Bio Farma's COVID-19 Vaccine Spokesperson, Bambang Herianto, confirmed that the distribution of three million doses of vaccine will be carried out today, as stated by the Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, vaccines will be distributed before the community starts working again.

"Starting today, we will distribute the vaccine to 34 provinces, we have prepared health service facilities supported by more than 10 thousand health centers, KKP, hospitals and all cold chains have been prepared to receive this vaccine," said Bambang as quoted by Antara, Sunday, January 3.

He explained that the vaccine distribution process was not only carried out by Biofarma but involved many parties including provinces, districts and cities and community health centers.

Bambang ensured that each cold chain infrastructure prepared had met the standard of vaccine specifications, namely in the temperature range of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius to ensure the quality and quality of vaccines that the public received.

Although vaccines are being distributed today, the implementation of the vaccination program will begin as soon as the Indonesian Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) issues an emergency use permit.

Bambang explained that the Sinovac vaccine that Indonesia received had also gone through a series of quality tests again by PT Bio Farma and BPOM.

Tests are carried out in order to maintain the quality and safety of vaccines so that they are guaranteed in the production process to distribution to the public.

Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Vaccine from the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said that the COVID-19 vaccination program in Indonesia will be carried out for 15 months and will be carried out in two stages.

The first phase of COVID-19 vaccination takes place from January to April 2021, and the second period of vaccination will take place from March 2021 to March 2022. The target of the COVID-19 vaccination program in Indonesia is 181.5 million people.