Sinovac vaccine. (Image via Jakarta Globe)

BPOM delays vaccination to January 2021

Speaking at the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission IX's meeting on Tuesday, the head of the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM), Penny Lukito, stated that the previous novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination program supposedly held in December 2020 is postponed to January 2021. It was due to the fact that the emergency use of authorization (EUA) could not be obtained by the end of 2020.

Previously, the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), promised to provide COVID-19 vaccine by December 2020. Making the statement 30 September ago, Jokowi did not close the possibility that the vaccine might be delayed to January 2021. Penny stated that the EUA could not be issued due to the incomplete data, which is the result of the clinical trial of the Sinovac vaccine tested in Bandung, West Java, and other mid-term clinical trial analysis result. Should the data be completed, Penny ensured that the EUA would be issued by the third week of January 2021.

On the other hand, Penny also gave another option if the COVID-19 vaccine would arrive in Indonesia by November or December 2020. She stated that the injection of COVID-19 vaccine could be given according to the compassionate use if the vaccine under development had sufficient efficacy and security data. 

Previously, vaccines from various countries which were ready to come to Indonesia are CanSino, G42/Sinopharm, and Sinovac. Among the other candidates, Sinovac had done the final clinical trial in other countries, notably Brazil and China. In Indonesia, Sinovac aimed December 2020 as the deadline for the final clinical trial. On the other hand, Sinopharm had finished its final clinical trial in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey; CanSino had done it as well in Canada, China, and Saudi Arabia.

Source: https://bit.ly/3fblKVH