Bio Farma: Processing Raw Materials Into Vaccines Takes One Month

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JAKARTA - PT Bio Farma (Persero) stated that all this time it had to compete with time to prepare and distribute vaccines, because processing raw materials (bulk) into vaccines takes up to one month. from bulk processing to finished and packaged products. We really need to be playing catch-up between usage time and production time," said PT Bio Farma spokesman Bambang Heriyanto in an online discussion monitored from Jakarta, quoted on Tuesday, August 24. Bambang said Bio Farma as a provider and distributor of vaccines does get vaccines in bulk and finished products. When the bulk production process begins, it must go through several stages.

The process starts from the quarantine of raw materials, especially the Sinovac type, followed by fill and finish at Bio Farma, then quality testing until it is finally distributed to all regions in Indonesia. According to him, Bio Farma is helped by the combination of the arrival of vaccines. So that when the finished form of vaccine is distributed, it coincides with bulk production. That way, the time span can be used to cover the available stock. "So that shortages or waiting for production time can be pursued assisted by vaccines that are ready to use. But of course the vaccine must still wait for the LOT to be released from BPOM before being distributed," he said. that currently Bio Farma has two special facilities for the bulk production process into finished form. He said Bio Farma can accommodate 250 million vaccine capacities from the two facilities that have met the qualifications of BPOM and are in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) standards. we use, one 100 million doses and 150 million doses and have been approved by the POM," he said. Previously, internal medicine specialist and vaccinologist Dirga Sakti Rambe asked the public not to be picky when going to vaccinate, because according to him the vaccine the best is the vaccine that is available to be injected. "I must remind you that the best vaccine is the vaccine that is currently available. So don't be picky, 'I want product A, I want product B'," he said. there is a tendency for people to choose which vaccine they want to get. The difference in the efficiency of various types of vaccines is the reason people are reluctant to vaccinate certain types. In fact, said Dirga, all vaccine brands are effective in preventing treatment, serious illness, and death from COVID-19. Therefore, when people get the opportunity to be vaccinated, take advantage of it.