Indonesia Receives Additional 1.8 Million Vaccines From Sinovac

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia is set to add its stockpile of Covid-19 vaccines, as it is expected to receive another 1.8 million doses from the Sinovac Chinese pharmaceutical company.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi announced that the vaccines will arrive on Thursday, December 31, as the government struck deals to buy 50 million vaccines from Astra Zeneca and Novavax companies.

“The arrival of the second batch of [Covid-19] vaccines from Sinovac brought Indonesia’s coronavirus vaccine supplies up to 3 million doses,” she said on Wednesday, December 30.

Also read: Indonesia to Prepare 371 Million Covid-19 Vaccines to 2022

The shipment comes about two weeks after the company sent an initial batch of 1.2 million vaccines which are currently under clinical testing from the Food and Drug Agency [BPOM].

Retno made her statement as she and Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin witnessed the signing of letters of commitment between Astra Zeneca and Novavax with their Indonesian counterparts Bio Farma and Indo Farma.

She added that the securing of the vaccines are due to “the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ ‘multiple track diplomacy’. These include bilateral diplomacy to secure supplies from pharmaceutical companies as well as multilateral diplomacy with the WHO, GAVI and other initiatives.”

Also read: President Jokowi Okays Free Covid-19 Vaccinations for All Indonesians

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin agreed with Retno. “The 50 million doses of the [Covid-19] vaccine from Astra Zeneca and Novavax will give the public room to choose the vaccine that is best suited for them,” he said.

The government has procured 371 million Covid-19 vaccines through 2022. The authorities aim to inoculate at least 181 million Indonesians to achieve herd immunity against Covid-19.