Zifivax Vaccine To Build A Factory In Indonesia But Not Used For National COVID-19 Vaccination, Commission IX Of The House Of Representatives Asks: Is It Halal?

Illustration of the COVID-19 booster vaccination used in the vaccination program in Indonesia. (Between)

JAKARTA - The Zifivax vaccine is not used by Indonesia in the COVID-19 booster dose vaccination program. Member of the Commission IX Vaccine Supervision Working Committee (Panja) of the House of Representatives (DPR), Anas Thahir, questioned it.

"For me, the halal vaccine is a fixed price. There is a Zifivax vaccine that has been tested by researchers and is halal, but the government has not included it for the booster program," Anas said at a hearing (RDP) Commission IX with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance in the Complex Senayan Parliament, Jakarta, Thursday 31 March.

Anas said the Zifivax vaccine has been tested by researchers and is licensed for emergency use; In fact, it has received a halal fatwa from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). He also questioned the number of contracts to procure COVID-19 vaccines in Indonesia and how long the contracts will expire.

"With the vaccine procurement contract, what about domestic vaccine development? Are you sure the vaccine development process can be completed this year?" he asked, Antara reported.

If Indonesia continues to import COVID-19 vaccines, it will hinder the development of domestically made COVID-19 vaccines, both by state-owned enterprises and private parties, said the member of the Vaccine Committee from the PPP Party faction.

He said the Zifivax vaccine would build a factory in Indonesia, so he also questioned the Government's support regarding the development of a vaccine factory produced by Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical from China.

Meanwhile, a member of the Vaccine Committee from the PAN faction, Saleh Daulay, said that obtaining halal vaccines is the right of Indonesian citizens. The state is obliged to protect these rights because it is in accordance with the applicable law.

"For this reason, the government is obliged to ensure the availability. If it doesn't exist, then the government must try to do it, lest our people question the government's performance," he said.