New Production Facility, Bio Farma Accelerates The Making COVID Vaccines, 25 Million Doses Each Month

The Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine that came to Indonesia on Thursday 31 December 2020. (Photo: Doc. Setkab)

JAKARTA - President Director of PT Bio Farma (Persero) Honesti Basyir stated that he would operate a new production facility starting April 2021 to support the supply of the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to him, with the operation of the new production line, the capacity which was previously around 10-12 million doses per month could increase to over 25 million doses per month.

"Starting this April, we will immediately activate the next production facility. So that previously Bio Farma's production capacity per month is 10-12 million doses, starting April will be over 25 million doses per month because there are two production facilities that will be functionalized soon", Honesti said in a hearing (RDP) with Commission VI of the House of Representatives in Jakarta, Monday, March 29.

Honesti said that Bio Farma had also received a Good Manufacturing Practices (CPOB) certificate from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) last week so that the new production line could be used immediately.

"This will later ensure the supply of vaccinations for government programs because from raw materials we already have scheduled arrivals. This will ensure the supply of vaccines for the government's planned vaccination program", he said.

Honesti continued, from the production side, Bio Farma has been importing vaccine raw materials since last January, where the State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) has contracted 140 million doses of raw materials with Sinovac.

Currently, Bio Farma is also in the process of negotiating to add 120 million doses of raw material from the vaccine developer from China.

"So that the total raw material that will enter Indonesia is 260 million doses from Sinovac. Until last week, we have visited five times with a total of 53 million doses of raw materials entering Indonesia, and Bio Farma has started production", he said.

Until March 27, 2021, Bio Farma noted that a total of 20.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been sent throughout Indonesia. Of these, around 14.3 million doses have been distributed to districts/cities for vaccination.

Of the total 20.5 million doses of the vaccine, 10.4 million doses have been injected into all Indonesians in 34 provinces.

Meanwhile, added Honesti, Bio Farma is also still waiting for the arrival of the next vaccine raw material. He said that in April, 30 million doses of the raw materials for the COVID-19 vaccine will be arriving twice.

"30 million doses are expected to come in April, in the first week of April as well as the third or fourth week", he said.