"I am optimistic that he (Aa Gym) would be able (to participate in the vaccination program)," Moeldoko noted on the sidelines of his visit to Aa Gym's Daarut Tauhid's eco-Islamic boarding school in Bandung Barat District, West Java, on Friday.
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, spoke of the government likely commencing the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination in the third week of December this year.
Apart from Aa Gym, other community figures are also expected to participate in the first phase of the government's COVID-19 vaccination program to convince the public at large of no glitches with the vaccine injections, Moeldoko explained.
Aa Gym responded positively to Moeldoko's request, expressing readiness to be part of the vaccination program on grounds that the vaccines were certified "halal" or consumable for Muslims.
The government has been awaiting the issuance of emergency-use authorization from Indonesia's Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) before commencing the first phase of its COVID-19 vaccination program.
The BPOM revealed recently that it was still waiting for the results of the Phase 3 clinical trials of Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine in Brazil as it mulled granting it emergency-use authorization.
The agency will coalesce research data from the Phase 3 clinical trials for the Chinese vaccine candidate in Brazil and Indonesia to determine its safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity, BPOM Head Penny K. Lukito stated recently.
Indonesia has been striving to contain coronavirus infections that initially emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019 and thereafter spread worldwide, including to nations in the Asia-Pacific region.
Indonesia announced of infections first surfacing on March 2 this year.
The Indonesian government has consistently expressed confidence in the potential of the COVID-19 vaccine to help win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic that has posed a grave threat to public health and the economy.
Over the past few months, the government has endeavored to secure potential COVID-19 vaccines for Indonesians through bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Indonesia is cooperating with China and the United Kingdom for the procurement and supply of COVID-19 vaccines.
The government is also supporting research efforts towards developing the country's own COVID-19 vaccine, Merah Putih (Red and White), named after the colors of the national flag.
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Close EDITED BY INE
Translator: Bagus AR, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
