Terawan: Emergency Permit To Use Sinovac Vaccine Will Be Approved Soon By BPOM

Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto said that the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) would immediately approve the use of an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac. This vaccine just arrived from China at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Sunday, December 6 last night.

"The vaccine will immediately be approved for EUA use by BPOM in accordance with scientific and statutory provisions," Terawan said in an online press conference broadcast on the YouTube account of the Ministry of Communication and Information TV, Monday, December 7.

The former Head of RSPAD Gatot Subroto confirmed that the government will only provide vaccines that are proven safe and have passed clinical trials according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). Moreover, vaccines are one of the strategies in dealing with and intervening in the chain of spread of COVID-19 because they can provide immunity.

Furthermore, Terawan explained, the 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccines that arrived yesterday were only the first phase of the three million doses held by the government.

Meanwhile, regarding the condition of the vaccine, he said the government had carried out an inspection of its quality, including the arrival report document. This examination, he continued, had been carried out thoroughly and carefully so that all vaccines received were declared in good condition and none were damaged.

"The status of the vaccines received is in good condition, there are no packages or contents that are damaged, and the temperature during the trip or delivery is in accordance with the procedure. If there are ingredients that are damaged or the procedure is not suitable, we will immediately inform the vaccine provider by attaching the vaccine arrival report," he stressed.

"Then Bio Farma has also ensured that the refrigeration vehicle is in good condition so that the temperature from the airport trip to the vaccine warehouse can be maintained properly. Including the vaccine warehouse that has been prepared with capacity and can accommodate vaccines according to the cold chain management SOP," he added.

Previously reported, the COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac arrived in Indonesia via Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Cengkareng, Sunday night, December 6 at around 21.25 WIB. The vaccine is transported using an aircraft belonging to the airline PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk, a Boeing 777-300ER type aircraft and will then be brought to the vaccine warehouse at PT Bio Farma.

Regarding the arrival of this vaccine, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said the number of vaccines arriving in the country was 1.2 million doses. The former governor of DKI Jakarta said that the arrival of this vaccine is good news and new hope in handling the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

"Today the government has received 1.2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine is made by Sinovac, which we have been testing clinically in Bandung since August 2020," he said, quoted from a live broadcast on the Youtube account of the Presidential Secretariat, Sunday, December 6. .

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister (Menko) for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto said the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Sinovac was the initial momentum for the government's concrete steps in saving the Indonesian people from the threat of the virus.

Not only that, he said, vaccination would also increase the nation's confidence in carrying out socio-economic activities.

"The implementation of vaccination will further build our sense of security and self-confidence, as a nation in carrying out socio-economic activities to support resilience, health, boost productivity and to maintain and increase national economic growth," he said.

However, Airlangga warned, don't just rely on vaccinations. According to him, the COVID-19 health protocol must still be implemented in dealing with the pandemic. "3T, 3M and vaccination must go hand in hand until all of us in Indonesia around the world are completely free from the COVID-19 pandemic," said the Chairman of the Committee on Prevention of COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery.