An inspection of the InaVac booster vaccine by the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) is still awaited, Deputy Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Community Development at Airlangga University, Professor Ni Nyoman Tri Puspaningsih, said on Tuesday.
"Every batch of the InaVac vaccine will be checked by BPOM. Even though it has received an emergency use authorization (EUA), it does not mean that the vaccine will be sent immediately. It must be checked again to avoid unwanted residue. We must make sure of the safety before delivery," she informed in Surabaya on Tuesday.
The InaVac vaccine is ready to be sent to 34 provinces in the country, she added. She said she hopes that East Java province will receive some of the vaccine doses.
"We have sent a letter through the East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa to the Health Ministry to ask for some doses of the InaVac vaccine," she informed.
Furthermore, Puspaningsih informed that this year, the Unair research team will continue to research vaccines for children, teenagers, and booster vaccines for teenagers because, in 2022, her party was still focusing on research for adult vaccines.
"We are waiting for the Technical Committee for Competency Testing (PTUK) for teenagers’ booster vaccine while also conducting research on children’s vaccine as the last one," she said.
People can receive the InaVac vaccine after the Health Ministry distributes it to health services throughout Indonesia.
“Hopefully, East Java will receive some of the vaccines, because this is still a limited batch," she added.
On November 5, 2022, the InaVac vaccine received EUA from BPOM as a primary vaccine for people aged 18 and above for boosting immunity.
The vaccine, which can be used to prevent a COVID-19 infection, has been made using an inactivated virus, that is, a virus that cannot reproduce and cause disease.
The vaccine was developed as part of an effort by the university to significantly contribute to and impact the health sector.
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Translator: Willi Irawan, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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