"We also want to be able to produce our own vaccines, not only order imported vaccines," Thohir, who is also chief executive of the Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery, said at an online press conference originating from Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang, where another eight million doses of the Sinovac vaccine arrived on Monday.
The SOEs Ministry has been asked to develop the Red and White Vaccine in cooperation with five universities and two research institutions and is continuing to work hard to achieve this task, he added.
"It's not enough there, we will also open ourselves up by opening cooperation with various other parties," he said.
He said he hoped the results of his ministry's efforts would be evident by the end of 2021 and early 2022, whether in terms of progress with the Red and White Vaccine or vaccines developed in collaboration with other parties.
"I express my gratitude for the extraordinary cooperation of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance, who have worked together with the Ministry of SOEs to ensure that the vaccination program runs well," he stated.
Earlier, the head of the Red and White Vaccine Research Team at the University of Airlangga (Unair) Surabaya, Prof. Fedik Abdul Rantam, stated that the vaccine will be ready for use in early 2022 once it passes the first preclinical test.
The results would be analyzed through antibody titers (a type of blood test that determines the level of antibodies in the blood), he said adding, their "trend has been very good, PA has also been good, and currently, the examination is still ongoing".
The tests include immunotyping, kidney, hematology, toxicity, and total blood count, he informed.
The results of these tests will serve as the basis for conducting Phase Two preclinical tests, he said adding, his team is currently preparing for the tests. (INE)
Related news: Unair rector pegs Red and White vaccine use in 2022
Related news: Indonesia's COVID-19 vaccines to likely become available this year
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Aji Cakti, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
