Government Ensures Safe Stock Of COVID-19 Vaccines

Illustration/UNSPLASH

JAKARTA - The government received an additional supply of COVID-19 vaccine today. It is ensured that the stock of vaccines for vaccination services throughout August 2021 is safe.

"The arrival of 3.5 million doses of vaccine made by Moderna and 620 thousand doses of vaccine produced by AstraZeneca ensures that vaccine stocks are safe, in total around 178 million doses," said Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, quoted by Antara, Sunday, 1 August.

Muhadjir said the stockpile of the COVID-19 vaccine to achieve the target of injecting two million doses of vaccine per day throughout August 2021 was safe.

"Safe stock of vaccines is urgently needed to accelerate and expand the vaccination program to two million doses per day in accordance with the direction of the President of the Republic of Indonesia this August," he said.

According to him, the Indonesian government has secured the supply of around 440 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, which will be imported in stages.

The additional supply of COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and AstraZeneca, according to him, came from the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAC), a global initiative for equal access to vaccines, as well as the UK Government.

Moderna's vaccines produced in the United States are imported with the COVAX facility and the vaccines made by AstraZeneca in the UK are donations from the United Kingdom Government.

Muhadjir said the government had established various collaborations to meet the needs of the COVID-19 vaccine in the country.

The government continues to strive to increase the coverage of COVID-19 vaccinations in order to realize communal immunity against the disease.

Muhadjir encouraged the private sector, professional organizations, community organizations, and other institutions to work together to accelerate the completion of the COVID-19 vaccination for residents.

"Vaccines that enter Indonesia have been confirmed to be safe and also halal. People should not hesitate to participate in vaccinations," he said.

He also emphasized that in an effort to control the transmission of COVID-19, the COVID-19 vaccination must be accompanied by the implementation of health protocols and the activity of checking, tracking, and handling cases of coronavirus transmission.