Thus, it is estimated that domestically produced vaccines can be used in the third or fourth quarter (of 2022).Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Phase 3 clinical trials for the Red and White vaccine will begin in the second week of June this year and emergency-use authorization (EUA) for the vaccine is expected to come through by September.
Head of the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM), Penny K. Lukito, said here on Tuesday that so far, the vaccine candidate is in the final stage of Phase 2 clinical trials.
"Hopefully, we can complete the third phase (of the clinical trials) around August 2022," she informed during a meeting with the working committee on COVID-19 vaccine supervision of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI).
For the third phase of clinical trials of the vaccine, which uses an inactivated virus platform, a different method will be used so that the phase can be expedited while ensuring that the immunogenicity aspect is maintained well, she added.
The Red and White vaccine has obtained halal certification, along with Sinovac, Zifivax, as well as state-run pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma's COVID-19 vaccine, the BPOM head noted.
Furthermore, she informed that according to the agency’s monitoring, the vaccines developed by PT Bio Farma and Baylor College Medicine are still in the same phase of clinical trials as the Red and White vaccine.
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On the same occasion, director general of pharmaceuticals and medical devices at the Health Ministry, Lucia Rizka Andalusia, said that the manufacturing of the vaccines is expected to begin in July or August this year.
“Thus, it is estimated that domestically produced vaccines can be used in the third or fourth quarter (of 2022)," she added.
The Red and White vaccine is being developed as a collaboration between Surabaya-based state college Airlangga University and private pharmaceutical company PT Biotis.
According to the COVID-19 Handling Task Force’s website, the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to 200,267,408 people so far, and the second dose has been given to 167,420,810 recipients.
In addition, 45,672,972 people have received the third or booster dose. The overall national vaccination target is 208,265,720 people.
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Translator: Prisca Violleta, Uyu Liman
Editor: Suharto
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