Minister Of Health Optimistic That COVID-19 Pandemic Will End In Indonesia Early Next Year

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin/DOC via ANTARA

JAKARTA - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin is optimistic that Indonesia will be able to end the COVID-19 pandemic on the condition that there is no increase in cases until February 2023.

"We pray a lot, hopefully, what we do (health protocols and vaccinations) can continue to keep Indonesia like this," he said in a discussion entitled 'Chat Together About G20 Health', as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, October 13.

Minister of Health Budi explained that if Indonesia was able to pass from December 2022 to February 2023 smoothly, then Indonesia was a country that did not have an increase in positive cases of COVID-19 for 12 months.

According to him, if it works, it can be said that Indonesia is able to control the pandemic better than other countries.

The Minister of Health also advised to always be vigilant, not to be arrogant, and to maintain health protocols so that Indonesia can escape from the grip of the pandemic that has lasted for 2.5 years.

Indonesia through its state-owned pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma is currently making a COVID-19 vaccine under the IndoVac brand to meet domestic vaccine needs with a production capacity of up to 20 million doses for this year.

Bio Farma has started researching and developing a COVID-19 vaccine for almost a year starting from November 2021 to September 24, 2022.

The IndoVac vaccine has received an emergency use permit (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) on September 24, 2022, for primary vaccination, namely dose I and dose II for adults (over 18 years of age). In addition, Indovac has also received halal certification from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

The COVID-19 Task Force noted that as many as 204.74 million people had received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, 171.36 million people had undergone the full dose of vaccination, and 64.17 million people had received the booster vaccine.

The government targets as many as 234.66 million people in Indonesia to undergo a vaccination program to achieve group immunity.