Indonesia Steps Up Diplomacy Efforts to Avoid Vaccine Stockouts

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Indonesian government continues to ensure uninterrupted availability of Covid-19 vaccine amid the ongoing nationwide mass vaccination program, an official said on Tuesday, March 30.

National Covid-19 task force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito said that the Foreign Affairs Ministry and Health Ministry step up their diplomacy efforts to secure vaccine supplies from vaccine-producing countries.

This remark came after Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that Indonesia may have the potential to experience vaccine stockouts in April.

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“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health will do it in any way they can to ensure the availability of the vaccine supplies amid the inoculation program by pursuing diplomacy efforts with other countries,” Wiku told Kompas.com on Tuesday, March 30.

However, Wiku did not elaborate on a certain type of vaccine. He only said that the government will ensure that the vaccines are safe, effective, halal, and have been authorized for emergency use.

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The government, said Wiku, will ensure that the mass vaccination program will be done according to the schedule.

“For the long-term plan, the government will continue to intensify the domestic vaccine procurement,” he said.

Previously, Health Minister Budi said that the Covid-19 vaccine supply in the country will be running low after the two shipments of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Indonesia are temporarily postponed.