TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) chairperson Penny Lukito said the safety aspect of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate that was being developed in collaboration with Chinese firm Sinovac was good. She pledged that her agency would keep monitoring the potential antibody until it was granted a distribution permit.

“Alhamdulillah, the safety aspect [of the vaccine] during the clinical trials is monitored to be good. The quality aspect is also good,” said Penny after a closed meeting with President Jokowi at the Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta, Monday, November 23, 2020.

Penny said BPOM was still waiting for the analysis results of the data of the completed phase 3 clinical trial conducted in West Java.

“We are waiting for the analysis process to obtain the efficacy [of the vaccine]. And then we can issue the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) so that vaccination can be carried out,” she added.

Although the distribution permit has not been issued by BPOM to date, the government has started to carry out vaccination simulations at a number of community health centers. Jokowi said the trial would be continued until the COVID-19 vaccine was ready and the administrators could apply the correct procedure of vaccination.

Read: BPOM: Indonesia Will Run Tests on Pfizer, Sputnik, Other COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates

EGI ADYATAMA