The distribution stage will be carried out by state-owned vaccine manufacturer PT Bio Farma, she said.
Production will be carried out after the vaccines receive emergency-use authorization (EUA) from the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM), she added.
Bio Farma will distribute the vaccines by utilizing a special armada capable of keeping an ideal cold chain temperature of 2–8 degrees Celsius at special vaccine storage facilities in each province, she said.
A vaccine is a biological product that is vulnerable if left at certain temperatures, she noted. Hence, distributing and storing them requires special facilities, she explained.
According to Tarmizi, once the vaccines reach the vaccination center, local regional governments will continue the distribution process by utilizing cold boxes that can maintain a temperature of 2–8 degrees Celsius.
The next step will involve preparing the vaccines for the people, she said. Ideally, a booster vaccination needs to be administered after a six-month interval of completing the primary vaccination dose, she added.
Concerning the technical guidelines, including the dosage, Tarmizi said that the ministry is still awaiting the results of the clinical trial from the Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ITAGI).
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The booster vaccination will cover districts or cities with 70 percent first dose coverage for the general public and 60 percent for the elderly, she added.
She assured that the types of vaccines that will be utilized as boosters will be clinically tested and therefore, safe for the people.
On a separate occasion, head of ITAGI, Sri Rezeki Hadinegoro, had said that her group is still coordinating with the BPOM concerning the types of vaccines that can be used as boosters.
"ITAGI still awaits the recommendation from BPOM concerning the types of vaccines that will be used," she stated.
Booster vaccines could belong to the same or different types, she said. The COVID-19 vaccine platforms that are currently circulating in Indonesia are based on an inactivated virus, RNA-based, viral-vector, and protein sub-unit, she added.
BPOM head Penny K Lukito is yet to comment on the matter.
Earlier, COVID-19 Handling Task Force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito said that the government plans to start the booster vaccination program on January 12, 2022.
Related news: Gov't continues vaccination as precautionary measure against Omicron
Translator: Andi Firdaus, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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