Indonesia Again Receives 16 Million Bulk Of Sinovac Vaccine From China

The Indonesian government again received 16 million bulk or materials for the COVID-19 vaccine (Youtube Secretariat of the President)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government again received 16 million bulk or COVID-19 vaccine ingredients.

Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono said, the arrival of tens of millions of bulk from a company from China, Sinovac, was the seventh stage of the entire stages of vaccine arrival in the country.

"Of the 16 million, we cumulatively have 53.5 million vaccines, bulk vaccines", he said in a press conference that aired after reviewing the arrival of vaccines at Soekarno-Hatta Airport which was broadcasted on the YouTube channel of the Presidential Secretariat, Thursday, March 25.

The bulk vaccine will then be brought to Bio Farma to be processed into the COVID-19 vaccine. Before being injected into the community, this vaccine will first be evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

"Of course, after being produced it will be evaluated in terms of quality by the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) before it will be used as a vaccine for the public", said Dante.

The availability of this vaccine, he continued, is vital in maintaining the vaccination program. So, with the return of this bulk vaccine, it will accelerate the delivery of vaccinations to the public.

"So that we will reach 181.5 million vaccines which we will target to achieve herd immunity or communal community immunity in a very short time", he said.

As previously reported, the national COVID-19 vaccination program is targeted to receive 181.5 million people. They are people aged 18 years and over. Vaccine recipients receive twice the injection dose.

In the first phase, the vaccine is intended for 1.5 million health workers. In the second stage, COVID-19 vaccination is for the elderly and public service workers.

The target is 21.5 million elderly and 16.9 million public workers. They are market traders, educators, religious leaders and counselors, representatives of the people, officials, government, civil servants, the National Army and the Police Force (TNI-Polri), tourism officers, public services, public transportation workers, athletes, and media workers. This program lasts until May.

Furthermore, vaccination will be carried out for 63.9 million vulnerable people or people living in areas with a high risk of infection. Then, other communities as many as 77.7 million people. Overall, this national vaccination will be carried out from April 2021 to March 2022.