Red And White Vaccine Is Slowly Fading, The Government Is Urged To Hold A COVID-19 Research Consortium
JAKARTA - Member of Commission VII of Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) Mulyanto, urged the government to consolidate the COVID-19 Research Consortium in order to continue the Red and White vaccine research program. This is in line with the merger of the Ministry of Research and Technology (Kemenristek) into the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud).
Because it is feared that the merger of the 2 ministries will hamper the Red and White vaccine research program. Moreover, the formation of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has not ended, even though it has been going on for 17 months.
"So it is unclear the institutional status of this research consortium. It is not surprising if the Director of Institute for Molecular Biology (LBM) Eijkman who is the motor for the development of the Red and White vaccine is confused", said Mulyanto, Friday, April 16.
Mulyanto reminded that the production and use of the Red and White vaccine as a domestic vaccine are important because it can make Indonesia sovereign. So, he said, the country no longer depends on imported vaccines and makes vaccines merely a business market.
"Our limited money from this debt is drained out to buy imported vaccines. Therefore it is very important that we urge research and production of the Red and White vaccine so that domestic vaccines can be used immediately for the recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic", said the PKS Party politician.
SEE ALSO:
Previously, the Government Spokesperson for Handling COVID-19, Wiku Adisasmito said the government was committed to completing the manufacture of the Red and White vaccine. It is hoped that the vaccine made by our own people can create vaccine independence.
"The government is committed to continuing the process of developing the Red and White vaccine because this vaccine will not only solve the problem of vaccine capacity at the national level but also globally, considering there are still 130 countries that have not had access to the COVID-19 vaccine at all", Wiku said in a virtual press conference, Thursday, April 15th.