Indonesia Postpones Covid-19 Vaccination to December 2020

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Indonesian government expects to roll out its Covid-19 vaccination in December 2020, a little later than previously planned.

“We will start vaccinations during the third week of December,” Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan said, noting that the government is still carrying out the third clinical trials of a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac and Bio Farma.

Previously, the Indonesian government planned to distribute its Covid-19 vaccine this month.

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Once the government is approved for the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from Indonesia’s Food and Drug Administration, it will be able to inoculate its citizens with a vaccine to rid a novel virus that has ravaged the country since it was first detected in March.

“I believe that the vaccinations will start with around 9 million people from regions that have significantly contributed to the national Covid-19 caseload such as Jakarta, for example. Other regions which we feel have also contributed to high daily infections will also receive the Covid-19 vaccine.”

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Upon the successful implementation of its Covid-19 vaccination plan, the Indonesian government is planning to move ahead in placing Bali as a green zone in 2021.

Luhut clarified that the postponed vaccination effort was not due to a shortage of the Covid-19 vaccine supply, but because Indonesia’s Food and Drug Administration required more time before issuing the EUA.

(Editor: Dani Prabowo)

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/11/04/15290721/luhut-vaksinasi-covid-19-dimulai-minggu-ketiga-desember-2020