"I invite participation in the chain of production, distribution, and vaccination services by providing technical training related to vaccine handling, as well as being able to act as a promoter and provide education about vaccines," President Joko Widodo said in a video circulated by the Presidential Secretariat in Jakarta.
The President made the statement while opening the National Working Meeting (Rakernas) and the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Indonesian Pharmacists Association.
President Jokowi said he hoped that many ideas and action plans would emerge from the meeting to accelerate the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the independence of domestic drug production.
According to the President, the COVID-19 pandemic has aroused a sense of crisis in the pharmaceutical world, prompting an increase in research activities, development of innovations, revitalization of the domestic pharmaceutical raw materials industry and the strengthening of its manufacturing structure.
“Indonesia's rich biodiversity should be used as the basic capital in the revival of the domestic drug industry. Biodiversity must be utilized to strengthen community resilience in the health sector. Phytopharmaca drugs also need to be facilitated to pass clinical trials and standardization, so that they become options for promotive and preventive treatment," the President stated.
The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) had earlier lauded the government’s efforts to secure COVID-19 vaccine supplies and demanded that it ensure the availability of safe and effective vaccines for the planned immunization program.
In its letter to the Health Ministry, which ANTARA accessed here on Thursday, IDI’s central executive board praised the government for prioritizing the vaccination program for medical workers.
However, IDI chairman Daeng M Faqih, who signed the letter, highlighted the importance of ensuring that the safety, effectiveness, and immunogenicity of the COVID-19 vaccines is established before they are administered to Indonesians.
President Joko Widodo has instructed that the vaccination program should not be conducted in a hurry, he said, adding that the required vaccines could be vetted through the published results of their Phase 3 clinical trials.
Faqih further revealed how other countries have also exercised caution when it comes to COVID-19 immunizations by waiting for more published data on the results of Phase 3 clinical trials.
The trials for China's Sinovac vaccine, for instance, would have been conducted on nine thousand volunteers in Brazil, but the results would have been published soon after 15 thousand volunteers had been vaccinated, he pointed out.
This reality shows that, apart from its significance in conquering the novel coronavirus disease, the vaccination program must not be conducted in a hurry, he said. (INE)
Related news: Phase 3 Sinovac clinical trial running smoothly: research team
Related news: Awaiting Indonesia's COVID-19 vaccine in a careful and cautious way
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Indra A, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
