'Suddenly So, I'm Like A Gini,' Jokowi Praised For The Cooperative Work Of The COVID-19 Vaccine Production Pharmacy Industry.

Screenshot - President Joko Widodo/ANTARA

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo said he was happy with the silent work carried out by the pharmaceutical industry to produce COVID-19 vaccines with an mRNA platform (messanger RNA). "What I'm happy about is how to work secretly. I myself don't know, suddenly so, this is what I like. It's not the one who keeps saying it but I'm waiting, it doesn't happen. This is silent right away, that's what I'm happy about," said President Joko Widodo in the Pulogadung industrial area. Jakarta, Antara, Friday, October 7th. President Jokowi conveyed this when inaugurating the PT. Etana Biotechnology Indonesia which developed a COVID-19 vaccine with an mRNA "platform" with the AWcorna trademark and developed through technology transfer and research with Abogen-Yuxi Walvax, China. "I ask the Coordinating Minister (Maritim and Investment) and the Minister of Health, so that industries such as PT Etana are really supported by the Ministry of Health, so that not only in biotechnology, biopharmacy and later can enter animals, we can enter plants so that all of us have independence and can truly be independent," said the President. President Jokowi in his remarks said that at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic there was panic in the government because of the conditions of fighting over vaccines with other countries. "All countries at that time were fighting over what was called a vaccine, the second was a fight that was previously PPE (Self-protection equipment) clothes. It was everywhere (rebuttal) even though we produced, so confused at that time," said the President. However, more than two years after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, President Jokowi said that 440 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been injected into the Indonesian people, so that Indonesia was among the best in managing and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. "The second is related to health. I am also surprised, our people check out of the country a year after 6 billion US dollars less, almost Rp. 100 trillion to go to Singapore, Malaysia, to Japan," added the President. President Jokowi said that with this behavior, almost Rp. 100 trillion of Indonesian foreign exchanges switched abroad because the Indonesian people were not confident in health services in hospitals, health workers, and medical devices in the country. "In fact, our human resources are also not inferior in the field of medicine. Therefore, I really welcome what PT. Etana Biotechnology Indonesia is doing in producing vaccines with the MNRA platform, and this is the first in Southeast Asia," said the President. The President emphasized that he did not want the pandemic to happen again in Indonesia, but if this happened again, Indonesia would be ready. "At least we will be calmer because Pak Nathan said earlier that in two months the new vaccine can enter clinical trials, very quickly," said the President. The mRNA vaccine is a vaccine with new technologies. The mRNA vaccine does not use viruses or germs that are weakened or killed, but the genetic material component is engineered to resemble certain germs or viruses so that the vaccine can trigger immune reactions like viruses and germs that are weakened by regular vaccines. Although the mRNA vaccine does not trigger infection because it does not contain viruses or bacteria and is safe to give to the elderly, the vaccine must be stored at a very cold temperature, namely -70 degrees Celsius or lower, thus requiring a special cooling container which is a challenge for countries that do not have these equipment in all health facilities, including Indonesia. The Indonesian Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) itself has granted an Emergency Use Permit (EUA) to the AWcorna vaccine since September 30, 2022 as an alternative vaccine that can be used in the COVID-19 Vaccination program for adults aged 18 years and over, Unlike vaccines with similar "platforms", AWCorna is said to be stored at temperatures 2 to 8 degrees Celsius so that storage temperature standards are available in almost all regions.