"Five million doses of the Pfizer vaccine had arrived two days ago. We are ready to distribute it," Sadikin noted at the 2022 National Nutrition Movement in Jakarta, Wednesday.
According to the minister, the government received a grant of five million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) scheme.
The COVID-19 vaccine supply would then be distributed to areas where the vaccine supply had run out, he added.
Sadikin remarked that the COVID-19 vaccine shortage occurred since the government had withheld vaccine imports to prioritize the use of domestically produced vaccines.
"We already have vaccines that are produced domestically, so we hold on to imports first, to utilize the domestic vaccine. However, it turns out that domestic vaccine production is hampered. The delay is due to the clinical trials for boosters that have not been approved by the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM)," he remarked.
He expressed optimism that domestically produced vaccines would immediately receive a permit for use from the BPOM and would be distributed to regions in November 2022.
"The domestic vaccines called IndoVac and Inavac are still awaiting permission from BPOM. We hope that in November, the agency would issue the permit," he said.
Based on the Health Ministry's vaccination dashboard on Wednesday, the COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Indonesia has reached 205,111,340 people, or 87.41 percent, for the first dose; 171,828,287 people, or 73.22 percent, for the second dose; 64,877,879 people, or 27.65 percent, for the third dose or booster; and 662,375 people, or 45.10 percent, for the second booster dose.
Related news: Ministry hopes local COVID-19 vaccine to spearhead booster vaccination
Related news: Ministry prioritizing COVID-19 vaccination for travelers
Related news: Ministry seeks to plug COVID vaccine shortage with domestic vaccines
Translator: Hreeloita Dharma S, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
