Despite Being Different In Packaging, Both COVID-19 Vaccines From Sinovac And Bio Farma Are Quality-Guaranteed

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - PT Bio Farma (Persero) revealed that the COVID-19 vaccine is ready to use from Sinovac, China, with vaccines produced by different packaging companies. Starting from the name of the package to the number of doses in one box. However, the product quality is guaranteed to be the same.

Bio Farma Secretary Bambang Heriyanto explained on the ready-to-use COVID-19 vaccine packaging from Sinovac, the name of the package reads 'Corona Vacc'. Meanwhile, the vaccine packaging produced by Bio Farma will be named COVID-19 Vaccine.

The second difference, said Bambang, is the number of vaccine packages in one box. Previously, the vaccine called Coronavax with a total of 3 million doses was packaged per one single dose (single dose) in one vail.

"Single dose with one vail contains one dose, packaged in one box containing 40 vail so that one box contains 40 doses", he explained at a press conference for the arrival of the vaccine, Tuesday, February 2.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 vaccine produced by the State-owned enterprises pharmaceutical holding from the raw materials of a pharmaceutical company from China, Sinovac, will be packaged in a multidose scheme. Later, one vail will contain 10 doses.

"So that one box will be packed in 10 vails. So that one box contains 100 doses", he said.

The Bio Farma spokesperson emphasized that the different packaging did not affect the quality of the COVID-19 vaccine product.

"That is the difference in packaging but it does not affect the quality", he said.

Currently, Bio Farma is producing 15 million vaccine raw materials from Sinovac, which is targeted to produce 13 batches or 13 million doses of vaccine. It is estimated that production will be completed on February 11, 2021.

Meanwhile, 10 million raw materials and 1 million semi-finished vaccines that have just arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport (Soetta) today, Tuesday, February 2, will be produced on February 13, 2021, and are expected to be completed on March 20 this year.

As previously reported, the government had imported the COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac in three stages. First, 1.2 million doses of the vaccine will be finished on December 6, 2020.

As many as 1.8 million doses of vaccine were finished on December 31, 2020. Third, imports of 15 million vaccine raw materials with an overfill of 1.5 million on January 12, 2021.