JAKARTA (TheInsiderStories) - Indonesia aims to secure COVID-19 vaccines from United States (US)’ drug-maker Pfizer and British’ AstraZeneca, to fulfill ‘herd immunity” for around 181 million people, said health minister on Tuesday (12/29). So far, the government has secured China’ Sinovac powder vaccines and still hunt for another drugs.
According to the minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, in a virtual conference, taking into account that one person needs two doses of vaccine and 15 percent as a reserve in accordance with the provisions of the World Health Organization (WHO), the total vaccine needed is around 426 million doses. To reached the targets, he said, the government has ensured to meet the number of vaccines.
Currently, he said, the government has signed a contract for 125 million doses of vaccine from Sinovac with an additional option to 100 million doses of vaccines and 130 million total doses of vaccine from US’ Novavax.
In addition, the government will also sign a contract with AstraZeneca to obtain up to 100 million doses of vaccine and another 100 million other doses which will also be imported from BioNTech-Pfizer. Sadikin stated, a 50-million-dose deal with AstraZeneca would be finalized before end of 2020, and the same size with Pfizer in the first week of January.
“Obtaining vaccines from these four sources aims to ensure the resilience or security of vaccines coming to Indonesia in the quantities needed. The very large number of COVID-19 vaccines is expected to come to Indonesia soon,” he told the media.
In total, said Sadikin, Indonesia will receive 660 million doses of vaccine including from CEVI and Gavi, a public – private global health partnership. In the press conference held today, he also reported, that the vaccination program will be given free of charge to all citizens. He asserted, that health workers will be the first to be in the vaccination stage.
“In Indonesia there are 1.3 million people (health workers) in 34 provinces. The second stage we will give to public workers. This around 17.4 million people,” said the former CEO of PT Bank Mandiri Tbk (IDX: BMRI) in his first news conference.
Earlier, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he would be the first person in the country to be vaccinated, without give further details when he would take the vaccine or when the national inoculation program would start. The head of state has instructed all levels in the cabinet, ministries, agencies and local governments to prioritize the vaccination program in the 2021 fiscal year.
He also instructed and ordered the minister of finance to prioritize and reallocates other budget related to the availability and vaccination for free. The CEO of state-owned drug maker, PT Bio Farma, Honesti Basyir, said Indonesian government need funds around Rp68 trillion (US$4.82 billion) to produces vaccines in 2021.
The former CEO of PT Kimia Farma Tbk (IDX: KAEF), revealed, the assumption based on the vaccine price of Rp200,000 a dose. Currently, the pharmacy firm collaborating with Sinovac runs three clinical trials and is expecting to be done in January 2021. If successful, an emergency use permit will be immediately requested to the Food and Drug Administration agency so the national vaccination program starts on February 2021, he adds.
In addition, said Basyir, the subsidiary, Kimia Farma, is also waiting for the results of cooperation with a company from Abu Dhabi, G42, to procure vaccines in Indonesia.
US$1: Rp14,100
Written by Editorial Staff, Email: theinsiderstories@gmail.com
