Red And White Vaccine Prepared For Fourth Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccination

Photo Archive - Health workers prepare in the vaccination room at the beginning of the Red and White Vaccine Clinical Trial at Dr Soetomo Hospital, Surabaya, East Java, Wednesday (9/2/2022). (ANTARA/Didik Suhartono)

JAKARTA - The University of Airlangga's Red and White Vaccine Research Team is preparing to use the Red and White vaccine for the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia.

"It is hoped that the clinical trial of the Merah Putih vaccine can be used for the fourth dose," said the Main Researcher of the Red and White Vaccine at Airlangga University, Prof. Fedik Abdul Rantam, as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, July 11.

The COVID-19 vaccine, which was developed since May 12, 2020, will go through a third phase of clinical trials starting on June 28, 2022.

The research team has collected 1,100 volunteers from a total of 4,005 volunteers needed for clinical trial subjects, which includes one group of volunteers receiving the comparison vaccine and two groups of volunteers receiving the Red and White vaccine.

"The phase 3 clinical trial process is ongoing. So far the results are good. Currently, only 1,100 volunteers have been recruited," said Fedik.

Vaccine reactions to volunteers in the third phase of clinical trials were observed at dr. Soetomo Surabaya, Airlangga University Hospital Surabaya, Saiful Anwar Hospital Malang, Jember Lung Hospital, and Subandi Hospital Jember.

The phase 3 clinical trial of the Red and White vaccine developed at Airlangga University is targeted to last a maximum of six months after the second dose of vaccine is injected.

The COVID-19 vaccine is targeted to start production by the end of 2022, after obtaining an emergency use permit from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

Separately, the Head of the Red and White Vaccine Clinical Test Team at Airlangga University, Dominic Husada, said that the use of the Merah Putih vaccine for booster vaccination could only be carried out after further clinical trials were carried out.

"Currently it is in phase 3. After that, it is submitted for a distribution permit from BPOM. Only then will further clinical trials be carried out for boosters," he said.

Dominic said that the effort to recruit volunteers in the third phase of the Merah Putih vaccine clinical trial was quite difficult because the coverage of the COVID-19 vaccination was already high.

"It is very difficult to find participants, because the condition is that they have never been vaccinated," he said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) requires clinical trials of vaccines to be conducted on at least 3,000 people to assess vaccine safety.