People Are Picky For Vaccine Brands, Bio Farma: The Government Has Been Struggling To Find, Just Use What's Available

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - People are still worried about the quality of the various types of vaccines that are available in the country. Some people also choose to be vaccinated with a certain brand. Responding to this, the Government Spokesperson for COVID-19 Vaccination Bio Farma Bambang Heriyanto said that the available vaccines had gone through various stages of testing both on animals and humans.

Bambang said, before the vaccine is injected into humans en masse, there are testing standards issued by the WHO and regulatory agencies in each country that must be met. So, when the vaccine will be used, its safety, efficacy, and quality are guaranteed.

Furthermore, Bambang explained that it is impossible for a vaccine to be given to the public if its efficacy, quality, and safety are not guaranteed. Therefore, he asked the public not to worry about the quality of the vaccines currently available, including Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, and other vaccines.

"What is available is immediately used to speed things up. Later if there is more vaccine, of course the government will also continue to seek back manufacturing supplies not only from one, but two vaccine providers. But from various providers to gain access," he said in a virtual discussion, Tuesday. , June 15.

Bambang said that in order to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine, various efforts were made by the government, both through bilateral and multilateral schemes. In fact, access to bring in the vaccine is not easy, because all countries in the world are competing to get it.

Therefore, said Bambang, the government cannot wait for a certain brand of vaccine to enter Indonesia, then inject it into the public. Moreover, to achieve herd immunity or group immunity needs to be achieved by accelerating vaccination.

"We can't expect that we will wait for vaccine C first, while we get difficult access to get the vaccine, from vaccine A, or vaccine B already available, maybe later we will just wait for vaccine D, who knows when it will arrive. Because they themselves have not of course supply as we wish. We ask immediately, they may not be able to do that, "he said.

Bambang said that the COVID-19 vaccine that entered Indonesia had also been guaranteed by the POM. Not only that, WHO also oversees the vaccines used by Indonesia. Therefore, he asked the public not to hesitate to participate in the national vaccination program in order to achieve herd immunity.

"To get the vaccine, it takes hard, hard work, when the vaccine is available, the community should actively participate. Because indeed the effort to achieve herd immunity is a joint effort by all of us working together, of course with the right time. as soon as possible," he said.

For your information, the Indonesian government has committed to Sinovac until the end of this year around 260 million doses. Then there is also multilateral via Covax, which has arrived at around 8 million from the initial commitment of 11 million. From bilateral sources, AstraZeneca has also committed around 50 million excluding the bundling. Then Novavax also 50 million.

"So if the total is 260 million from Sinovac, then 100 million is added from the bilateral AstraZeneca and Novavax. Then multilaterally we have also made a commitment of 11 million, hopefully, the rate can increase to 54 million. So if in total there are commitments 360 more," said Bambang.

However, said Bambang, Indonesia also has commitments through the Covax 50 million multilateral scheme. Thus, the total number of vaccines that the government has obtained can reach 400 million doses.

"It could be close to 400 million. I think this is sufficient for our needs of 363 people who will be vaccinated," he said.