By creating the roadmap, we can conceive more effective and efficient measuresSurakarta, Central Java (ANTARA) - An academic at the Sebelas Maret University in Surakarta, Central Java, highlighted that national vaccine self-sufficiency is vital as an anticipatory measure against a likely surge in COVID-19 cases in future.
"(Vaccine self-sufficiency) must start from conducting vaccine research and development with our own resources," the university's Study Centre for Democracy and National Resilience head, Sunny Ummul Firdaus, said here on Wednesday.
The government must develop a roadmap for the legal standard on vaccination during an epidemic and conceive measures relevant to the roadmap, he noted.
"By creating the roadmap, we can conceive more effective and efficient measures," Firdaus affirmed.
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The study centre head also drew attention to several challenges in the upstream and downstream phases that must be addressed to boost the country's quest in developing a domestic vaccine.
"The legal basis for domestic vaccine research and development is still too general and not comprehensive and not responsive. Some other regulations are even restricting our researchers," he pointed out.
The academic highlighted the anti-vaccine stance of some members of the public and regulations that entrench personal freedom despite the necessity to protect the greater public at large are also hindering the effort.
"Other challenges that we face are underdeveloped infrastructure in some regions that may hinder the vaccine distribution and storage process and the rigorous criteria required to ensure vaccine quality," Firdaus stated.
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The study centre head urged the government to consider the five challenges in conceiving public policies and approaches regarding vaccination.
"If we traced back the root cause of those challenges, the main issue that we have now is the absence of a legal product, as the existing regulations are insufficient to respond to issues on vaccination and that we have insufficient awareness of its legal necessity," Firdaus noted.
He opined that conceiving an optimal regulation about domestic vaccine development and strong legal culture will help address issues that hinder the efforts to conduct research and develop domestic vaccines.
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Translator: Aris Wasita, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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