VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A worker moves a consignment of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines at the PT Bio Farma complex in Bandung, West Java, on March 8, 2021. (ANTARA FOTO/NOVRIAN ARBI)

The Indonesian government will begin distributing AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccines from next week to support the national vaccination program, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has informed.

"Next week, we will begin distributing the AstraZeneca vaccines," he said during an online press conference held by the Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery on Friday.

The government had suspended the distribution of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccines following a report on its side-effects.With the results of a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and the European drugs authority showing that the vaccine is safe for use, the government has now decided to restart distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccines.

"Insya Allah (God willing), we will begin distributing and using AstraZeneca vaccine next week," Sadikin said.

The Health Ministry, the Drug and Food Control Agency (BPOM), and the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) will soon issue a technical guidance on the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine.The MHRA had announced a review of several thromboembolic events in people who received AstraZeneca jabs in the United Kingdom.

The agency said the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing COVID-19 outweigh the risks and has recommended the use of the vaccine.

Indonesia received 1.1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine under the COVAX facility, the global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, on March 8 this year//ANT