VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (second right) and Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan HB X (right) held a dialog with a COVID-19 vaccine recipient at the Beringharjo Market in Yogyakarta on Monday (1/3/2021). ANTARA FOTO/Andreas Fitri Atmoko/wsj. (ANTARA/Andreas Fitri Atmoko)

President Joko Widodo highlighted the government’s support to the development of local COVID-19 vaccines, such as the Red and White and Nusantara, albeit stressing that scientific principles should be followed in the process.

"The vaccines now being developed in the country are the Red and White and Nusantara that we must continue to support. However, scientific principles should be followed to produce safe, effective, and good-quality drugs and vaccines," the head of state noted in a press statement posted by the Presidential Secretariat in Jakarta on Friday.

Scientific principles in the development of the vaccine must follow the standard procedures, be open and transparent, and involve several experts. The scientific principles and procedures must be applied to demonstrate that the production of vaccines has prioritized the principles of prudence and can be accounted for scientifically, he emphasized.

"May the vaccines be safe and effective," he remarked.If all procedures and production phases have been followed suitably, the government will encourage swift production of the vaccines to fulfill domestic requirements, according to the president.

The head of state echoed the government's commitment to supporting Indonesian scientists to make innovations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Of course, we all support any research and development pertaining to drugs and vaccines to achieve self-reliance in pharmaceutical production as well as to accelerate access to vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic," he remarked//ANT