"In principle, any type of COVID-19 vaccine, including the SOE vaccine, can be used for the handling of COVID-19 and to support efforts to deal with the pandemic," the virologist stated when contacted from here on Saturday.
According to Wahyono, the fairly large production capacity of the SOE vaccine is expected to boost Indonesia's vaccination achievements, especially booster dose vaccinations and vaccinations for children aged 11 years and above.
"However, for children below 11 years of age, of course, a deeper and valid study is needed because their immunity is not yet fully formed," he stated.
Wahyono expressed optimism that the SOE vaccine would boost the rate of vaccination in the country, with equitable distribution to remote areas.
The virologist highlighted that vaccination is part of the efforts to handle the pandemic along with the implementation of health protocols, such as wearing masks, washing hands, and maintaining a safe distance.
Wahyono expressed optimism that COVID-19 cases in Indonesia would be brought under greater control.
"Hopefully, COVID-19 cases can be further controlled, and the pandemic will end soon because it seems that the recently emerged new variants are more transmissible but less pathogenic, so the clinical symptoms are milder," he remarked.
Earlier, on Thursday, June 9, 2022, state-run pharmaceutical firm PT Bio Farma had begun the phase three clinical trial of the SOE vaccine.
Director of Bio Farma Honesti Basyir affirmed that if the clinical trial were to go well and receive an emergency use authorization, then Bio Farma would commence production of the vaccine in July 2022.
According to Basyir, 120 million doses of the vaccine are targeted to be produced per year.
The third phase of the clinical trial for the SOE vaccine involves as many as 4,050 subjects in the age bracket of 18 to 70 years.
Bio Farma is planning to use the vaccine for booster and child vaccinations.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adj
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
