3.8 Million Doses Of AstraZeneca Comes, Minister Of Foreign Affairs: Day And Night We Have Vaccine Diplomacy

Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi (ANTARA / HO-Kemlu RI)

JAKARTA - Indonesia again received 3.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca brand vaccine. This vaccine arrives at Soekarno Hatta Airport at around 18.45 WIB.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is received from the multilateral vaccination program conducted by GAVI and WHO through the COVAX Facility scheme for free.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that AstraZeneca's delivery tonight was the second time. Previously, 1.1 million doses of AstraZeneca were received on March 3.

"With the arrival of this second batch, Indonesia has received vaccines from the COVAX Facility totaling 4,965,600 free doses of the finished vaccine", Retno said in the Presidential Secretariat Youtube broadcast, Monday, April 26.

Thus, when combined with the Sinovac vaccine that has been received to date, Indonesia has received 67 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Retno continued, since the beginning of the pandemic until now, the Indonesian government has made efforts to provide vaccines for domestic needs while continuing to fight for equal access to vaccines for all countries.

"Day and night, we continue to strive so that the national vaccination program can continue. Day and night we continue to carry out diplomacy so that our vaccine needs are fulfilled", said Retno.

Retno admitted that she was concerned about a large number of new waves of COVID-19 cases in many countries of the world, as well as the discovery of new variants of COVID-19 in several countries. Retno said, currently the world's need for vaccines is increasing. As a result, there has been a slowdown in vaccine shipments worldwide.

"This new situation requires the Indonesian government to work harder so that the availability of safe vaccines for the Indonesian people can be fulfilled. For this reason, the Indonesian government strives to be active in discussing the issue of world vaccines", she explained.