Bio Farma Sells COVID-19 Vaccine At A Price Of IDR 200 Thousand Per Dose, Agree?

Illustration. (Photo: Pixabay)

JAKARTA - President Director of PT Bio Farma (Persero) Honesti Basyir said the vaccination program will start running next year. The COVID-19 vaccine is estimated to be priced at IDR 200 thousand per dose.

This figure has increased from the original estimate of around Rp. 75 thousand to Rp. 145 thousand. Later, one person will get two doses of the vaccine.

"They have not mentioned the exact cost so we are only preparing an approximation budget, it is still possible to change. We hope that with Sinovac we will get a maximum of Rp.200,000 for one dose," he said, at a Hearing Meeting (RDP) with Commission VI DPR RI in Jakarta, Monday October 5.

Honesti said, if one person needs two doses or two shots of the vaccine, the cost will be Rp. 400 thousand.

Furthermore, he said, the government is targeting vaccinations to 170 million Indonesians. This number is 70 percent of the total population in accordance with WHO guidelines for achieving herd immunity.

"70 percent is to achieve herd immunity. We have not counted all the value of the money," he said.

Until now, Homesti said, Bio Farma is still conducting phase three clinical trials, one of which is in Bandung, West Java. The vaccine clinical trial is scheduled to be completed in January 2021.

"Why do we do this clinical trial proposal to ensure that this vaccine is effective, efficient and hygienic. That's why we don't do it now, later in January," he said.

If declared successful, said Honesti, the government will request an emergency use permit from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) so that the national vaccination program can start immediately in February 2021.

Honesti said BPOM had also asked for the results of the Sinovac vaccine test from other countries to be opened so that they could measure the effectiveness of the vaccine.

"We don't just buy it directly for use, but there is a process to see that the results of clinical trials that are happening in this world can be accessed. So that BPOM can evaluate and decide that the vaccine can be given in certain situations for certain criteria, for example health workers who are indeed high. quality, "he said.