If the president is the first Indonesian to use the vaccine then that will be extraordinary. That sets an example and dismisses an assumption that the vaccine is not safeJakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo's readiness to become the first Indonesian to receive the COVID-19 vaccination demonstrates that the China-made Sinovac vaccine is safe, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Deputy Chairman Jazilul Fawaid stated.
"If the president is the first Indonesian to use the vaccine then that will be extraordinary. That sets an example and dismisses an assumption that the vaccine is not safe. It turns out that the president (is ready to) get the vaccine. That means the vaccine is safe and has no side effect," Fawaid noted in a written statement released on Thursday.
Fawaid, popularly known as Gus Jazil, encouraged to accelerate clinical trials of the vaccine and the issuance of emergency use authorization to offer a sense of certainty to the public.
"That will be a ray of hope once certainty is gained about when the vaccine, kept for quite a long time, will be circulated. That will offer positive hope that will raise public spirit and optimism," he affirmed.
On account of the limited quantity of available vaccine, Gus Jazli, concurrently deputy chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB), urged the government to adopt a priority scale by referring to valid data.
"The vaccine must be on target. First, it targets vulnerable citizens, while the second is how the vaccination will drive the economy of a certain region. Hence, the Health Ministry must be able to determine which regions must soon be prioritized for vaccination," he stated.
The Drug and Food Control Agency (BPOM) is awaiting the clinical test result for COVID-19 vaccine and data from China's Sinovac Biotech before issuing vaccine authorization, COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Working Committee Chairperson Airlangga Hartarto remarked.
"We are optimistic of the BPOM soon issuing the emergency use authorization, and now, it still awaits data from Sinovac and the result of clinical trial conducted in Bandung (West Java) and Brazil scheduled for completion on December 15," Hartarto, concurrently the coordinating minister for economic affairs, noted on the sidelines of the Bisnis Indonesia Award 2020 here on Monday (Dec 14).
Hartarto remarked that the availability of 1.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine was expected to emerge as a game changer to cut the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and encourage economic recovery.
The COVID-19 recovery rate in Indonesia has reached 82.21 percent as of now, higher than the global average, indicating that pandemic handling in the country has run on the right path.
In 2021, Indonesia will receive 1.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine ready for administering, while in December 2020, another 15 million doses of the vaccine will arrive in the form of raw materials to be further processed by state-run vaccine manufacturer Bio Farma for production.
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Translator: Fathur Rochman/Suharto
Editor: Sri Haryati
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