"We can produce some 16 million to 17 million doses per month, but this will also depend on the availability or supply time from Sinovac," PT Bio Farma Corporate Secretary Bambang Heriyanto stated during a virtual press conference organized by the Media Center of the COVID-19 Response Task Force here on Monday.
Bio Farma has an annual vaccine production capacity of 250 million doses, he remarked.
Currently, for the interim, Sinovac has made a commitment to supply 260 million doses of the vaccine.
Bio Farma will commence stage-wise production of the vaccine after receiving permission from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).
However, Bio Farma could make preparations to produce vaccines in November and December 2020 since several further tests were still required prior to production in order to ensure the vaccine’s quality, safety, and efficacy, he expounded.
"We might begin preparations early and at the start of November and December, we plan to have the vaccine available here, as trials will be conducted before production," he stated.
The production will be completed gradually, he noted.
Indonesia requires 340 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine within a year, or some 60 percent of its total population.
On October 5, 2020, President Joko Widodo had signed Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 99 of 2020 on procurement of vaccines and implementation of vaccinations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier, Airlangga Hartarto, chairperson of the Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery, concurrently the coordinating minister for economy, stated that the government had secured the procurement of 270 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for 135 million residents. Related news: Indonesian delegates hold meeting with WHO DG Ghebreyesus
Related news: COVID-19 vaccine availability could spur economic recovery: minister
Translator: Martha HS, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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