VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia received raw materials for 14 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from the Chinese pharmaceutical company, Sinovac Biotech Ltd, on Wednesday.

During a virtual press conference from Jakarta, Wednesday, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that with the 18th batch of raw materials from Sinovac having arrived in Indonesia, the number of doses totaled 105 million.

The raw materials will then be processed by state-owned PT Bio Farma into ready-to-use vaccine doses that will take a month's time.

"From the 105 million raw materials, 85 million vaccine doses will be produced, and they will be ready one month from now. Hence, it is expected that at the start of August 2021, we will be able to use 85 million Sinovac vaccines," the minister remarked.

Sadikin further pointed to more future shipments of vaccines to Indonesia, as the country is set to receive vaccine donations through the COVAX Facility. Vaccine shipments are also expected from AstraZeneca and Pfizer.

"This month, we will receive (vaccines) from AstraZeneca, and in August, we will have vaccines from Pfizer, which means there will be more vaccine doses for us in the second half of the year," he stated.

The minister noted that the availability of COVID-19 vaccines will enable Indonesia to accelerate its vaccination drive. He believed that by the end of 2021, a total of 181.5 million Indonesians will have received their shots in accordance with the set target.

"We will accelerate the vaccination program in Indonesia, so that at the end of the year, God willing, we can have 181.5 million Indonesians vaccinated," he stated. (Antaranews)