"First, you need the availability of the vaccine, which means you need manufacturing. And the second thing, there are regulations to make sure that this vaccine is safe," Ikrar said in a session of the 26th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN) 2025 here on Thursday (October 30).
Ikrar emphasizes the importance of production and regulation to ensure vaccine availability and ensure vaccine safety, efficacy, and quality so that the vaccine product does not pose a risk to public health.
As the agency that oversees drugs and food in Indonesia, BPOM continues to strive to ensure that any vaccine produced and delivered to Indonesia must have guarantees to ensure safety, quality, and efficacy.
Hence, BPOM provides various types of support by granting special access or using its authority to make the product available in Indonesia.
Under his leadership at the agency, Ikrar said that BPOM also developed several measures to ensure preparation for the next pandemic.
Those measures include facilitating productivity among Indonesian manufacturers by supporting clinical trials, such as those for tuberculosis vaccines, as well as reducing the requirements for production licenses, marketing permits, and product distribution until the public accepts those products.
Through this assistance, Ikrar aims to ensure BPOM's support for companies in building a resilient vaccine industry in Indonesia.
Additionally, BPOM is developing the Academia, Business, Government (ABG) scheme. This scheme encompasses all stakeholders, including academia, business, and government, in creating an innovative and resilient vaccine ecosystem in Indonesia.
Through the development of an ecosystem involving various related stakeholders, Ikrar said that BPOM has supported vaccine development in Indonesia, such as the development of the COVID-19 vaccine.
"So, we can really facilitate the availability of vaccines in our country thanks to this concept," he said.
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Reporter: Katriana
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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