TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo confirmed that Indonesia could have around 290 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines by 2021 as it had joined hands with a number of countries, including the United Arab Emirates which recently made the deal.

“Foreign Affairs Minister (Retno Marsudi) and Pak Erick (SOE Minister) will explain about the vaccine procurement again later that we will get 20-30 million doses by the end of 2020, and it will be around 190 million by the end of 2021,” said the President in a limited meeting at the State Palace, Monday, August 24.

The number, he added, could increase if the development of a local vaccine dubbed Merah Putih could be completed next year.

The local vaccine was fully developed by Eijkman Institute, the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), the Research and Technology Ministry, as well as universities in Indonesia.

Moreover, Jokowi opined that vaccine research in Indonesia was far more advanced than in other countries. Among other ASEAN countries, Indonesia is the readiest to procure Covid-19 vaccines.

“So when the Merah Putih Vaccine is discovered, we can produce more and if we have more, we can sell it to other countries,” he added.

Read: Jokowi: Wearing Face Mask is Key as COVID-19 Vaccine Yet Available

EGI ADYATAMA