VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto stated that apart from medical personnel and the public who work in medical facilities, workers aged 18-59 years will be the next priority to get the COVID-19 vaccine. 

"Priority for vaccines will be given to the frontline, namely all medical personnel and all people who work in medical facilities. Next, it will be given to people in the high-risk category, namely workers aged 18-59 years," Terawan said in a statement on Thursday, after a coordination meeting for the vaccination program, led by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Wednesday. 

Terawan said that the need for vaccination has reached 320 million doses.

"And with the vaccine use index, we must be able to provide 352 million doses of vaccine," he explained.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of state-owned enterprises (BUMN), Food and Drugs Agency (BPOM), and Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) are hand in hand in providing vaccine.

Deputy Minister of BUMN Budi Gunadi Sadikin explained that the vaccine storage capacity owned by SOEs has reached 123 million vaccines. Bio Farma and Kimia Farma as drug producers are procuring a Cold Chain Equipment Inventory up to contain 300 million vaccines.

On the same occasion, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi explained that various discussions had been held with related countries, such as China, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom regarding the commitment to provide vaccines for Indonesia.

"We have been communicating regularly with China, UAE, and the UK in providing vaccines for Indonesia. We have also arranged a time for international meetings to review further clinical trials and vaccine production which will be sent to Indonesia," he said.

The supplies for Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines will be imported from China. Head of BPOM Penny Kusumastuti Lukito said the technical team from his institution would conduct field visits to see the vaccine production lab and clinical trials that had been carried out.

During the visit, the vaccine delivery system will be discussed as well as its halal certification. Meanwhile, the Head of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, who is also the Head of the BNPB, Doni Monardo asked BPOM to coordinate with MUI to ensure the halalness of the COVID-19 vaccine.

"After checking the halalness, BPOM can coordinate with MUI to provide halal certification," he said.

To prepare a vaccination program that will be implemented soon, the Ministry of Health has compiled several steps in the readiness of health facilities in Indonesia.

Since Monday, training has been carried out for health workers regarding the procedures for this COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, two Puskesmas have been prepared which will be the places for simulation, namely the Abiansemal Puskesmas in Badung Regency, Denpasar, and the Tanah Sereal Puskesmas in Bogor, West Java.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment who is also Deputy Chair of the Policy Committee for Control of COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan asked the Minister of Health, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Head of BPOM, Head of BNPB, and Deputy Minister of BUMN as meeting participants to continue to coordinate well in providing this vaccination.

"We must continue to maintain coordination well so we can immediately carry out vaccination in Indonesia. The Ministry of Health will make the vaccination simulation with other related agencies so vaccination can run well and smoothly," Luhut said. (Antaranews)