Support Nusantara Vaccines With Notes, Kapuspen: Not A TNI Program

JAKARTA - Although the Nusantara Vaccine trial which was initiated by former Health Minister (Menkes) Terawan Agus Putranto was carried out at the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital, Head of the Indonesian National Armed Forces Information Center (Kapuspen) Maj. Gen. Achmad Riad emphasized that this dendritic cell-based COVID-19 vaccine is not a TNI program.

"That the Nusantara Vaccine program is not a program from the TNI," said Achmad in a press conference in Jakarta, Monday, April 19.

Even so, the TNI supports every innovation related to vaccines and medicines for the prevention of COVID-19 in the country. Provided, the drugs and vaccines developed have met the criteria and requirements set by the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

"The TNI will always support (drug and vaccine development, ed). With a note that it has met the criteria and requirements set by the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency, so that three important criteria must be met, namely safety, efficacy, and feasibility," he said.

Previously, the Nusantara vaccine polemic began with the results of the BPOM evaluation which considered that the phase 1 vaccine clinical trial made by former Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto had not met the rules. This has led to the absence of a green light for researchers to continue the second phase of clinical trials.

However, on Wednesday, April 14, a number of political figures and officials, including members of the DPR RI, joined the phase II clinical trial volunteers. In this stage, the vaccine volunteers will take a blood sample and process it for the next 7 days.

Responding to this, the Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Penny K. Lukito said that if the Nusantara vaccine was determined to continue the stages. This is because his party has not issued a phase 2 permit.

"The results of the BPOM assessment related to phase 1 of the clinical trial of the dendritic or Nusantara vaccine is that it cannot be continued to phase 2. It is clear. What is currently happening is outside the POM, in this case it is not us to judge it," Penny in a virtual press conference, Friday, April 16.