BPOM May Not Hurry To Issue Permit For Emergency Use Of COVID-19 Vaccines

Illustration of the COVID-19 vaccine (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission IX DPR RI Kurniasih Mufidayati asked the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) not to be burdened with the target of injecting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Currently, even though the government has distributed the COVID-19 vaccine throughout Indonesia, the BPOM's emergency use authorization (UEA) has not been issued.

"The limit is not time, it means that it must be allowed on such or such a date. However, the limit is the completion of clinical trial results on the effectiveness and efficacy of the virus," Mufida said in a statement in Jakarta, in Antara, Wednesday, January 6.

Politicians from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) actually asked BPOM to conduct a comprehensive study before issuing the permit. It's useless, if the permit is issued but the vaccine results are far from optimal.

"BPOM does not need to be burdened with having to issue permits on a certain date," he said.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin previously stated that the target for COVID-19 vaccination would be completed within 15 months. However, a request from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) for the vaccination to be completed within a year.

"We plan that within 15 months we can complete the vaccination of 181 million Indonesians. However, that was on your behalf

The President challenged whether it could be accelerated so that it could be completed within 12 months. We will try hard and we need support to do this, "Budi said in a press conference broadcast on the YouTube account of the Presidential Secretariat after a closed meeting on Wednesday, January 6.

Budi explained that currently 1.2 million doses of Sinovac vaccine from China have been distributed to 34 provinces in Indonesia. This delivery, he said, had been carried out since last Sunday, January 3 and is targeted to be completed by January 7 at the latest.

Later, after the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) issues an emergency use authorization (UEA), vaccinations can be given.