Although we are a country that can obtain adequate amounts of vaccines with extraordinary efforts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and the Ministry of Health, for COVID-19, we still do not know how long we must coJakarta (ANTARA) - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is supporting the development of vaccine sovereignty in Indonesia for handling various diseases, including COVID-19.
"Indonesia needs vaccines not only for COVID-19, but also for various endemic diseases, including TB (tuberculosis) and malaria," head of BRIN, Laksana Tri Handoko, said when contacted here on Thursday.
Vaccine sovereignty is an urgent matter that Indonesia must pursue to support public health, he added.
The provision of COVID-19 vaccines to the public is a part of efforts to overcome and stem the spread of the disease.
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The COVID-19 pandemic is still not over yet, therefore, vaccinations against it are continuing to be carried out. Hence, Indonesia must achieve COVID-19 vaccine sovereignty so that the country does not have to rely on others.
"Although we are a country that can obtain adequate amounts of vaccines with extraordinary efforts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and the Ministry of Health, for COVID-19, we still do not know how long we must continue to vaccinate," Handoko said.
Therefore, vaccine sovereignty has become one of BRIN's focuses, and vaccine research is continuing to be carried out, he added.
The fastest progress in the development of the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, or Red and White vaccine, has been made by Airlangga University, which is collaborating with PT Biotis Pharmaceuticals Indonesia.
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The vaccine, which uses an inactivated virus or a virus that is attenuated or killed, is currently undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials.
Meanwhile, BRIN's Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology has succeeded in developing vaccine seeds based on recombinant proteins using yeast or yeast cells. The vaccine seeds have been handed over to state-run pharmaceutical firm PT Bio Farma for further development.
Research and innovation activities are key to supporting the availability of vaccines in the country. In addition, infrastructure and research facilitation schemes are also essential for accelerating research and innovation activities.
Currently, BRIN has its own financing scheme for testing health innovation products.
Under the scheme, the testing of health innovation products for clinical trials is not being carried out by researchers but independent clinical trial teams partnering with businesses, such as the pharmaceutical industry. The scheme is expected to speed up the commercialization of product candidates, such as drugs.
To support the development of vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine, BRIN is currently building a certified animal biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory facility for conducting Phase 2 preclinical trials involving primates.
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Translator: Martha Herlinawati, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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