Sri Mulyani: Vaccines Are Not Sure To Control COVID-19

Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani. (Photo: Instagram @smindrawati)

JAKARTA - Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati assessed that vaccines are not automatically able to cut off the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Therefore, he asked the public to adhere to health protocols during this pandemic.

Some time ago, as many as 1.2 million doses of vaccine made by Sinovac, a pharmaceutical company from China, were in Indonesia. Currently, the vaccine is in the process of testing the efficacy and safety of antivirals at the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

"Indonesia needs to maintain strict health protocol discipline. Even though we have imported vaccines now, it does not mean that in the very near future the COVID-19 will be controlled," he said in a webinar, Friday, December 11.

This state treasurer said, the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia had already exceeded 590 thousand with 18 thousand victims having died.

Sri said, the impact of COVID-19 was also dire for the Indonesian economy. According to him, this was reflected in the second quarter of this year, where the economy grew minus 5.32 percent year on year or annually.

"In fact, many countries experienced more severe contraction in the aggregate minus tens or dozens in the second quarter. Except for China," he said.

Previously, after the arrival of this first phase vaccine, Indonesia was still waiting for the arrival of the 2.8 million doses of further vaccines this month. Thus, Indonesia will have 3 million doses of vaccine.

Sri said the government was not just waiting for imported vaccines from abroad. But also working on a vaccine made in the country. "We support vaccine research, this is the Red and White vaccine," he said.

Not only that, said Sri, the government is also trying to produce domestically made medical devices. So that later there is no need to wait for imports from other countries.

Furthermore, he said, all of these efforts are expected to be able to control COVID-19 in Indonesia so that it can accelerate the national economic recovery.