VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta. There is a link between AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine and very rare blood clots in the brain but the possible causes are still unknown, a senior official for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said in an interview published on Tuesday.

However, the EMA later said in a statement that its review of the vaccine was ongoing and it expected to announce its findings on Wednesday or Thursday. An AstraZeneca spokesman declined to comment on the matter.

“In my opinion, we can now say it, it is clear that there is an association (of the brain blood clots) with the vaccine. However, we still do not know what causes this reaction,” Marco Cavaleri, chair of the vaccine evaulation team at the EMA, told Italian daily Il Messagero.

Cavaleri provided no evidence to support his comment.

The EMA has repeatedly said the benefits of the AstraZeneca shot outweigh the risks as it investigates 44 reports of an extremely rare brain clotting ailment known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) out of 9.2 million people in the European Economic Area who have received the vaccine.

The World Health Organization has also backed the vaccine.

AstraZeneca has said previously its studies have found no higher risk of clots because of its vaccine.

Cavaleri said the EMA would say in its review that there is a link but was not likely to give an indication this week regarding the age of individuals to whom the AstraZeneca shot should be given.

Some countries, including France, Germany and the Netherlands, have suspending the use of the vaccine in younger people while the investigations continue.

REVIEW ONGOING

In response to Cavaleri’s comments, the Amsterdam-based EMA said in a statement on Tuesday: “EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) has not yet reached a conclusion and the review (of any possible link) is currently ongoing.”

The EMA said last week that its review had at present not identified any specific risk factors, such as age, gender or a previous medical history of clotting disorders, for these very rare events. A causal link with the vaccine is not proven, but is possible and further analysis is continuing, the agency said.

A high proportion among the reported cases affected young and middle-aged women but that did not lead EMA to conclude this cohort was particularly at risk from AstraZeneca’s shot.

Scientists are exploring several possibilities that might explain the extremely rare brain blood clots that occurred in individuals in the days and weeks after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.

European investigators have put forward one theory that the vaccine triggers an unusual antibody in some rare cases; others are trying to understand whether the cases are linked with birth control pills.

But many scientists say there is no definitive evidence and it is not clear whether or why AstraZeneca’s vaccine would cause an issue not shared by other vaccines that target a similar part of the coronavirus.

In a separate interview, Armando Genazzani, a member of the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), told La Stampa daily that it was “plausible” that the blood clots were correlated with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is based on a modified chimpanzee adenovirus vector, ChAdOx1, developed at Oxford University, and is one of several adenovirus-vector COVID-19 vaccines. The current vaccine rollout represents the first use of viral vector vaccines on such a global scale. (Reuters)

Jakarta. Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno is optimistic that local communities will still throng Indonesia’s tourism destinations despite the government’s ban on the homecoming exodus, locally called “mudik”, during Idul Fitr 2021.

"'Mudik’ has this year been prohibited, but tourism destinations will remain crowded. Hence, health protocols must be well-prepared," Uno noted while opening the national dialog on “The Banten’s Cultural Arts and Creative Economy in Social Justice Perspective” here on Tuesday.

During the dialog focused on boosting tourism through cultural arts and creative economy by applying inclusive social justice practices and women-child friendly approaches, Uno called on the regional administrations to prepare their tourism destinations to welcome tourists during Idul Fitr in accordance with the outlined health protocols to stem the transmission of COVID-19.

“In this last one year, the tourism sector plunged and so did the economy. Major impacts (due to the pandemic) hit people,” he pointed out.

Hence, Uno is upbeat about a revival in the tourism and creative economy sectors through the application of stringent health protocols and improvement of ongoing COVID-19 testing and vaccination.

The minister highlighted that tourism and creative economy would facilitate recovery from COVID-19 through the implementation of 3G: quick movement, mutual movement, and accelerated movement that encompass all possibilities to survive.

Uno called on the Banten provincial administration for mapping tourism and creative economy in the region through village tour development.

During his visit to Banten Province, Uno opened the dialog of Bantenese culture arts. He, hereafter, paid a visit to some tourism destinations, including the Agrinex village tour in Cikeusik-Pandeglang District, Tanjung Lesung Beach, and Anyer Beach. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has called for promptly meeting the requirements of refugees impacted by the disaster caused by the Seroja tropical cyclone in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

"Immediately handle the situation at hand and meet the needs of the refugees," the president remarked at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Tuesday.

President Jokowi conveyed the statement at a limited meeting held via videoconferencing on the topic of "Disaster Management in the Provinces of West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara," with attendees comprising ministers of the Indonesian Working cabinet related directly and to the governors and district heads whose areas were impacted by the disaster.

"Although I know that on Sunday some of them have been sent to NTT and NTB, but owing to the extreme weather, the aid could not reach the location until yesterday. I saw it," the president stated.

President Jokowi also instructed the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and the provincial government to immediately collect data on the evacuation points.

"Ensure that the logistics, tent, and field kitchen can meet the basic needs of the refugees as well as the needs for babies and children, especially clean water and toilets," the president stated.

The head of state also urged that the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) increase warnings of extreme weather as a result of the Seroja tropical cyclone.

"Ensure that all regional heads and the public can access and monitor the weather and climate predictions issued by the BMKG. They must know everything, so that the community can increase preparedness and vigil to face the threat of risks in the form of strong winds, flood hazards, flash floods, and landslides," he stated.

The death toll in flash floods that struck several districts of NTT Province has climbed to 128, while 72 others remain missing, and 8,424 residents were displaced.

However, the government did not declare a national disaster status, as the regional administrations were not affected despite major flooding, Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo stated at a press conference here on Monday.

A tropical cyclone, triggering flash floods, strong winds, and landslides, affected Kupang City, East Flores, Malaka, Lembata, Ngada, West Sumba, East Sumba, Rote Ndao, and Alor.

"None of the local administrations were paralyzed. The local governments manage to handle the evacuees. We do not need to propose a national disaster status," he remarked.

Moreover, 1,083 families, comprising 2,683 people, were also affected by the flash floods.

The agency has deployed helicopters to support the evacuation process and relief aid as well as the distribution of other logistics.

Of the total evacuees, 7,212 people are the residents of East Sumba, 958 reside in Lembata, 672 are the locals of Rote Ndao, 284 are the residents of West Sumba, and 256 are from East Flores.

Of the 128 deaths, 67 were reported in Lembata, 49 in East Flores, and 12 in Alor.

The natural disasters had inflicted damage to almost two thousand homes and several public facilities and infrastructure, such as bridges. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. Indonesia's chemical, pharmaceutical and textile industries are prepared to implement the Industry 4.0 that will boost efficiency and competitiveness, according to the Industry Ministry.

"The fourth industrial revolution that integrates resources in technology, machinery, and humankind has brought about significant changes in the sector," the ministry's Director General of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Textile Industry, Muhammad Khayam, stated at the Pre-Conference of Hannover Messe 2021 here on Tuesday.

Khayam noted that the industry has become a national priority in the Industry 4.0 for its superior performance, with exports in 2020 having reached US$33.99 billion.

Investment worth Rp61.97 trillion was realized during the period, with the largest share from chemical and chemical goods industry and having absorbed 6.24 million workers.

"In addition, the pharmaceutical industry is included in the priority to boost its transformation and make Indonesia self-reliant in the health sector," Khayam remarked.

It has become increasingly important for Indonesia to achieve self-reliance in the health and pharmaceutical industry in the wake of the current health emergency situation.

The ministry has outlined various programs to implement the road map of Making Indonesia 4.0 in the sector, including the assessment of Indonesia Industry 4.0 Readiness Index (INDI 4.0), implementation and adoption of the Industry 4.0 technology in the textile and garment sector, improvement in the flow of materials in the petrochemical industry, and the establishment of textile and textile industry pilot project in Industry 4.0.

"We also conducted technical training and training for transformation managers and developed the Indonesia Smart Textile Industry Hub (ISTIH)," Khayam stated.

The ministry has provided facility for restructurization in the textile, leather and footwear industry through renewal of machinery that utilize more advanced technologies.

In 2020, the ministry had awarded INDI 4.0 to seven companies in the sector and honored the National Lighthouse Industry 4.0 to one company.

The seven companies are PT Kaltim Parna Industri, PT Biggy Cemerlang, PT Schott Igar Glass, PT Kimia Farma Sungwun Pharmacopia, PT Globalindo Intimates, PT TI Matsuoka Winner Industry, and PT Asia Pasific Rayon. PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur received the honor of National Lighthouse Industry 4.0 in the chemical industry sector.

Hannover Messe is expected to serve as a media for promotion, communication, and information among industries and users to create supply chain.

"Hannover Messe will also open up the opportunity for national branding with Indonesia's position as a new world economic power and global player in the manufacturing industry," Khayam stated. (Antaranews)