VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 17 - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin highlighted the government's unwavering efforts to ramp up the number of COVID-19 vaccines for the public to build herd immunity to end the pandemic.

The vice president made the statement when University of Indonesia (UI) Rector Ari Kuncoro visited him at his official residence in Jakarta on Monday.

"The number of vaccines, both free and independent, will continue to be increased," Amin noted in a statement received here on Wednesday.

Indonesia has provided two variants of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Sinovac and AstraZeneca. The government has also re-ordered the COVID-19 vaccine to meet the requirements of 70 percent of Indonesia's total populace, or some 182 million people.

Meanwhile, Kuncoro echoed UI's readiness to support the government in surmounting over the COVID-19 pandemic through research.

Innovations and research by the university are still related to handling the COVID-19 pandemic, comprising efforts to produce ventilators and flocked swabs for various health facilities in the regions.

"The University of Indonesia has been involved in clinical trials and has come up with various innovations to deal with the pandemic. The UI has, so far, made ventilators and flocked swabs that are used in various hospitals and other health facilities," Kuncoro noted.

Meanwhile, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Indonesia (FKUI) Ari Fahrial Syam, also present at the meeting, spoke of his involvement in producing the Merah Putih vaccine that was coordinated by the Ministry of Research and Technology/National Research and Innovation Agency.

The FKUI also provides training to 1,600 vaccinators that are ready to help the government to ensure that nationwide COVID-19 vaccinations are successfully conducted. (Antaranews)