The Distribution Of The COVID-19 Vaccine Is Intensively Carried Out, Even Though The BPOM Has Not Issued An Emergency Use Permit

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JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) is targeting the COVID-19 vaccination process for 181.5 million Indonesians to be completed within the next 15 months. For now, the vaccine made by Sinovac has been intensively distributed to 34 provinces in Indonesia since last Sunday, January 3.

Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Vaccine from the Ministry of Health, Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said vaccine distribution was still being carried out even though the Indonesian Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) had not issued an emergency use permit.

In addition to anticipating distribution delays due to difficult geographic conditions, the use of vaccines also considers the success of phase three clinical trials conducted in Brazil, Turkey, and Indonesia (Padjadjaran University Bandung) itself. He is optimistic that BPOM will issue a permit for the emergency use of the vaccine.

In addition to the distribution process, the Ministry of Health, continued Nadia, also ensures that the cold storage room for the COVID-19 vaccine remains safe to the remote health centers. This is because his party has carried out a verification and study process at health facilities throughout Indonesia since the beginning before the COVID-19 vaccine was distributed.

"We have conducted verification and of course the initial study, this cold chain, both in cold rooms in provinces to regencies and cities, is also available," said Nadia in a written statement, Monday, January 4.

For vaccine storage areas in provinces and districts and cities as well as health facilities in the regions, they are placed separately from storage rooms for the routine basic immunization program vaccines.

"So this has been prepared in health care facilities to store the COVID-19 vaccine," he said.

Nadia predicts that the first phase of the vaccination program can be carried out in the second week to the third week of January this year. Meanwhile, the vaccination target for 181.5 million Indonesians will be completed in 15 months by empowering all health service facilities, including health centers, hospitals, and port health offices.

This 15-month COVID-19 vaccination program spans two periods. The first period, continued Nadia, from January to April 2021, which will prioritize 1.3 million health workers and 17.4 million public workers in 34 provinces.

Meanwhile, the second vaccination period will last for 11 months, starting from April 2021 to March 2022 which will reach the rest of the population from the first period.