Ministry Of Health Ensures Stock Of 5 Million COVID-19 Vaccines Is Sufficient Until The End Of The Year

JAKARTA - Director General of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) of the Ministry of Health, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, said that Indonesia still has 5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine available to meet its needs by the end of 2023.

"The policy of COVID-19 vaccination until the end of the year has not spent the remaining 5 million vaccine stocks", said Maxi Rein Rondonuwu as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, July 3.

He said the supply of IndoVac and InaVac brand vaccines came from domestic production capabilities involving pharmaceutical companies PT Bio Farma and PT Biotis Pharmaceuticals Indonesia.

"The two companies have supported the national ability to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine since early 2023", he said.

Maxi said the use of vaccine supplies during the endemic period was being discussed with related parties from epidemiologists and Indonesia's Technical Advisory Group of Immunization (ITAGI).

The discussion points are related to the process of integrating COVID-19 vaccination services into national routine programs, injection intervals, participant targets, and financing mechanisms.

The discussion refers to the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) which direct the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to risky groups, such as the elderly and those who are comorbid.

"For those who have not accessed the primary vaccination, the government will bear the costs", he said.

Maxi targets that the provisions related to COVID-19 vaccination during the endemic period will be completed in 2024.

On the same agenda, Epidemiologist from Australia's Griffith University Dicky Budiman said domestic vaccine production is a strategic policy amid the threat of COVID-19 that still exists during the current endemic.

"The transition from an acute phase to an endemic completely controlled status takes 20 to 30 years. This means that there will always be a need for vaccines, especially the primary for children", he said.

He said dependence on import production made Indonesia a country behind because of its difficult vaccine production capabilities.

According to Dicky, there are three scenarios that can change the status of the pandemic to endemic, namely because vaccines and drugs or there are factors that change the behavior of the virus.

"There are so many effects of vaccines, including a 47 percent reduction in deaths and a decrease in new cases by around 37 percent", he said.