Indonesia plans to produce COVID-19 vaccine
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has declared that the country has set a plan to start its own vaccine production by mid-2021.
A scientist works inside the research room for the Merah Putih vaccine candidate at state-owned pharmaceutical holding company PT Bio Farma's office in Bandung, West Java (Photo: Antara)Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo has declared that the country has set a plan to start its own vaccine production by mid-2021.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on September 1, Widodo said a joint venture of domestic companies were tasked with developing a potential COVID-19 vaccine, with 30-40 percent of this process had been completed.
He expressed the hope that clinical trials could be started as early as 2021, before commercial production begins mid-next year.
The vaccine named “Merah Putih” is being developed by a joint venture
under the Ministry of Research and Technology led by the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology.
Previously, Director of the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology Amin Soebandrio said the vaccine is expected to meet at least 50 percent of the country's vaccination demand.
In addition to self-developing the anti-viral vaccine, Indonesia has also ordered 290 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine during recent visits by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir to China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These vaccines will be delivered to Indonesia before the end of 2021.
China’s biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech - one of Indonesia's two COVID-19 vaccine suppliers - has worked closely with the Southeast Asian country to help develop its own vaccine./.
Previously, Director of the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology Amin Soebandrio said the vaccine is expected to meet at least 50 percent of the country's vaccination demand.
In addition to self-developing the anti-viral vaccine, Indonesia has also ordered 290 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine during recent visits by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir to China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These vaccines will be delivered to Indonesia before the end of 2021.
China’s biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech - one of Indonesia's two COVID-19 vaccine suppliers - has worked closely with the Southeast Asian country to help develop its own vaccine./.
You should also see
Millions of children in Vietnam protected by vaccination over 40 years: UN agencies
Millions of children in Vietnam have been protected by immunisation over the past 40 years, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF offices in Vietnam on April 25 when they mark the World Immunisation Week from April 24-30.
See more
World
Argentinian scholar praises Vietnam’s April 30, 1975 victory
The complete reunification of Vietnam on April 30, 1975 was an extremely significant event in the history of the country and the world, opined a scholar from the Institute for International Relations at the National University of La Plata, Argentina.
World
Malaysia tackles food security challenges
Empowering local communities in the agriculture sector to attract young people to this field is one of the measures taken by Malaysia to address labour shortage while also contributing to tackling challenges in food security.
World
Danger warning issued for Thailand’s Bangkok as extreme heat bites
Thai authorities on April 24 issued an extreme heat warning for Bangkok, urging people to stay indoors for their safety as temperatures soared.
World
Schools in Philippines go online amid extreme heat
Record heat in the Philippines in April has forced schools to send children home for online classes.
ASEAN
UK supports ASEAN’s economic integration
The UK delegation to ASEAN held a seminar in Jakarta, Indonesia on April 24 to discuss the ASEAN-UK economic integration programme.
