Another Six Million Doses of Vaccine Bulk Arrives in Indonesia

By : Nata Kesuma | Monday, April 19 2021 - 19:05 IWST

vaccine arrives at Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten

INDUSTRY.co.id - The Government has announced it has received six million doses of Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine bulk from China, which is part of the supply of 140 million doses to be received this year.

“Today, we have received six million doses of Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine bulk from China, which is part of the supply of 140 million doses that we will receive by this year,” Minister of Health Budi G. Sadikin Sunday (18/04) told the press at Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Tangerang in Banten province.

For the record, this is the eighth batch of COVID-19 vaccine that arrived in in Indonesia. Previously, the first batch of Sinovac’s finished form COVID-19 vaccine amounting to 1,2 million doses arrived on 6 December 2021.

The second batch, which contained 1,8 million doses of Sinovac’s finised form vaccine, arrived on 31 December 2020.

On 12 January 2021 15 million doses of the third batch vaccine arrived and the fourth batch amounting to 10 million doses arrived on 2 February 2021. Both also were from Sinovac.

The fifth batch amounting 10 million doses of Sinovac’s vaccine arrived in Indonesia on 2 March 2021. The sixth batch, which was not from Sinovac and amounted to 16 million doses of AstraZeneva vaccine under COVAX facility multilateral cooperation, arrived on 8 March 2021.

Last, on 25 March 16 doses of vaccine bulk from Sinovac arrived. With this 8th batch’s arrival, Budi Sadikin added,Indonesiahasreceived59,5 millionrawmaterialsofvaccinesfromSinovac that will befurtherprocessedby state-owned pharmaceutical company PT BioFarmaintofinished formvaccines.

According to Budi, until now there are 22 million doses of finished form vaccine that have been distributed throughout the country. Budi expressed hope that there will be additional doses of 20 million finished form vaccine from PT Bio Farma to support vaccination program from April – May 2021 all over Indonesia.

The Minister also urged regional governments, governors, regents, and mayors to continue carrying out vaccination program, adding that the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has announced that vaccination does not invalidate fasting.