VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

An Indonesian legislator has proposed that the government's COVID-19 vaccination program start with President Joko Widodo, his cabinet members, and members of the House of Representatives (DPR) to encourage public participation.

"If those representing the state's symbol are vaccinated first, the people at large will feel secure and comfortable to join the COVID-19 vaccination program," said Nevi Zuairina, Member of Parliament from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction.

The people would not object to or reject the immunization program if the president, ministers, and other top state officials participate in the early stage of the program, she told journalists in Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province, on Wednesday.

Zuairina said she herself is ready to get vaccinated.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, has said the government will likely commence the first phase of COVID-19 immunization in the third week of December this year.

The government is awaiting emergency-use authorization from Indonesia's Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) to commence the first phase of the program.

The BPOM revealed recently that it is still waiting for the results of the Phase 3 clinical trials of Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine in Brazil as it mulls granting the emergency-use authorization.

The agency will collate research data from the Phase 3 clinical trials for the Chinese vaccine candidate in Brazil and Indonesia to determine its safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity, BPOM head Penny K. Lukito stated.

Indonesia has been striving to contain coronavirus infections, which initially emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019 and thereafter spread across the globe, including to nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

The first COVID-19 infections surfaced in Indonesia on March 2 this year.

The Indonesian government has consistently expressed confidence in the potential of the COVID-19 vaccine to help win the fight against the pandemic, which has posed a grave threat to public health and economy.

Over the past few months, the government has made efforts to secure potential COVID-19 vaccines for Indonesians through bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Indonesia is cooperating with China and the United Kingdom for the procurement and supply of COVID-19 vaccines.

It is also supporting research efforts towards developing the country's own COVID-19 vaccine, Merah Putih (Red and White), named after the colors of the national flag. (Antaranews)