Bio Farma has just communicated (with vaccine manufacturers) because, in reality, there are not many cases (of monkeypox in Indonesia)
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The procurement of monkeypox vaccines will depend on the trend of infections in the country, President Director of state-owned pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma Honesti Basyir has informed.



"Bio Farma has just communicated (with vaccine manufacturers) because, in reality, there are not many cases (of monkeypox in Indonesia)," he said here on Thursday.



Thus, the procurement will depend on the Health Ministry's decision, he added.


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According to a Health Ministry report, the total number of suspected cases of monkeypox in Indonesia reached 66 as of September 16, 2022. Of the 66 cases, 63 were declared negative, one was confirmed positive and declared cured, and two other cases were still under laboratory examination.



The cases were reported from Riau, Lampung, Banten, Jakarta, Riau Islands, West Java, South Sulawesi, Central Java, Central Sulawesi, and East Java.



Globally, the number of monkeypox cases is estimated to have reached 60,394 in 99 countries. Of the total patients, 22 are reported to have succumbed to the disease.



The ten countries with the highest number of monkeypox cases are Canada (1,632), the United States (22,620), Colombia (1,260), Peru (1,989), Brazil (6,246), Spain (6,947), the United Kingdom (3,558), the Netherlands (1,199), Germany ( 3,547), France (3,785), Thailand (7), Australia (129), Singapore (16), the Philippines (4), and Indonesia (1).


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Bio Farma has explored a cooperation opportunity to import two thousand doses of the monkeypox vaccine from Bavarian Nordic, Denmark.



"Is it (vaccine) considered something that we really have to import to Indonesia? We will just have to wait for the Ministry of Health's decision," he said.



According to Basyir, cooperation with monkeypox vaccine manufacturers is a step taken by the government to anticipate an increase in monkeypox cases in the country.



"If it is really needed, there are vaccines available from Denmark. However, right now, there is no case in Indonesia, so now we are still communicating," he said.


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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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