In Order To Obtain Independent Vaccination Supplies, The Government Lobbies Sinopharm And Moderna Vaccine Producers

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccination from PT Bio Farma, Bambang Heriyanto, said that currently his party is lobbying the Sinopharm vaccine production company from China and Moderna from the United States to supply an independent vaccine program, namely the mutual aid vaccine.

Bambang said the government's decision to look at the Sinopharm and Moderna brand vaccines was because these two types of vaccines had not been used in the ongoing national vaccination program.

"Currently, Bio Farma has begun to explore and discuss vaccine supply with the principle that it must be different from the vaccine program," Bambang said in a YouTube broadcast by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Friday, February 26.

Bambang said, the discussion regarding the supply of vaccines with Sinopharm was in collaboration with the inactivated technology platform of China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation (Sinopharm). The concept is the same as for the production of the Sinovac vaccine.

"The procurement of vaccines from Sinopharm is planned to be carried out by a pharmaceutical holding subsidiary, namely PT Kimia Farma Tbk," said Bambang.

Meanwhile, said Bambang, the plan for Mderna vaccine supply is to use the mesengger RNA (mRNA) platform.

"Of course we will coordinate closely with various parties, especially the Ministry of Health to prepare all vaccination programs, both the government vaccination program and the mutual cooperation vaccination program, can run smoothly and well," he explained.

Previously reported, the government has officially opened the COVID-19 vaccination program independently, which is charged to the private sector or through independent channels. This is stated in the Minister of Health Regulation Number 10 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of Vaccinations in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Through this regulation, the independent vaccination program is called mutual vaccination. Based on Article 3 Paragraph 5 of this Permenkes, it is stated that vaccination is given to employees / female employees, families, and other individuals free of charge.

This means that companies implementing this program must provide the COVID-19 vaccine for free to employees and their families.

Furthermore, Article 6 of the Minister of Health Regulation 10/2021 states that every company is required to report data on the target recipients of vaccination independently or together to the Minister of Health. The data reported were the number of vaccination participants, names, addresses, and identification numbers.

Article 22 also states that this vaccination cannot be carried out in government-owned health care facilities. Companies or employers must cooperate with private or private health facilities which are then required to coordinate with the local health office.

As for the vaccine price limit for self-vaccination, it will be set by the Minister of Health.

"The maximum tariff for mutual cooperation vaccination services is determined by the minister. The cost of mutual vaccination services carried out by public / private health service facilities must not exceed the maximum tariff set by the minister," Article 23 reads.