COVID-19 Task Force Asks Nusantara Vaccine Developers To Publish Results

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Task Force (Task Force) Handling COVID-19 Wiku Adisasmito asked all COVID-19 vaccines developed in the country to publish their development process, including the Nusantara Vaccine.

"All vaccine development must be published in accordance with scientific principles," Wiku said in a press conference broadcast on the YouTube account of BNPB Indonesia, Tuesday, February 23.

Wiku said the government was open and supported the development of vaccines in the country to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the development of this vaccination must be in accordance with existing scientific principles.

"In principle, the government is open to all domestic vaccine development. During a pandemic, the government continues to support and oversee vaccine development which of course must be based on science," he said.

In addition to being in accordance with scientific principles, the vaccine being developed must also have a scientific method, and be tested in the laboratory to produce potential vaccine candidates. Only after a vaccine candidate has been found, the next step is to conduct preclinical tests using experimental animals.

This preclinical test can only be said to be successful if the vaccine candidate is declared safe and effective in generating antibodies in the injected animal. After this stage, then the vaccine candidate enters the stage of clinical trials carried out on humans and the process must involve the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

"The government hopes that all vaccine developments in Indonesia can carry out this principle," he said.

As previously reported, it had been a long time since the news had been heard that the former Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto was apparently busy continuing the development of a COVID-19 vaccine called Vaksin Nusantara.

The vaccine, which has passed phase two clinical trials, has since become public attention.

This vaccine development is in collaboration with AIVITA Biomedical Inc. in California, United States by involving researchers from Gadjah Mada University, Jogjakarta, Sebelas Maret State University (UNS) Solo, and Diponegoro University Semarang and Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital Jakarta.

He claims, the vaccine he has developed since serving as Minister of Health can produce immunity that provides long-term protection. In addition, in an interview on Wednesday, February 17, he said this vaccine is personal and can be used by all groups, including those with comorbidities or comorbidities.

"Of course, the generalized concept must be changed to the concept of personality individual vaccination," said Terawan.

He explained, the process of making this Nusantara Vaccine went through an incubation process for approximately 7 days. Until later it will become an individual or personal vaccine. "The point is that every time we have a dendritic cell, we only need to introduce the COVID-19 antigen so that it will have a dendritic cell memory against COVID-19," he said.

Terawan hopes that this vaccine passes in all stages of testing and gets permission from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) and halal certification from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) so that it can be mass produced.

In the process of mass production, he believes that in a month there will be 10 million doses of vaccine that can be produced. "And it is expected to create vaccine independence," he said.