TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Epidemiologist from University of Indonesia, Pandu Riono, on Monday implied that the government needs to be ‘awakened’ to realize that vaccination is not the “ultimate weapon” to help end the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We must make State Minister Budi Gunadi understand that vaccination, even though he helped prepare it, is not the ultimate weapon,” said Pandu as Tempo reached him today on January 4.

According to him, the government needs to accelerate specimen testing and enforce better tracking of the Covid-19 spread in Indonesia. He also believes the government needs to implement stricter health protocol implementations to effectively break the chain of coronavirus infection.

He also added that the government should not expect highly on the vaccination as the Covid-19 vaccines - which are soon scheduled to be vaccinated on healthcare workers - as the third clinical trials have yet reached its final stages which means its effectiveness remains inconclusive.

“We have implemented a backwards procedure. We suddenly have ordered, paid, and have the vaccines arrive,” Pandu Riono questioned. “It should have been negotiated with producers about its effectiveness and have them delivered if it’s proven to be 80 percent effective.”

The third clinical trials for the Covid-19 vaccines is currently being run by teams of experts in Indonesia.

Also Read: Govt Eyeing to Commence Covid-19 Vaccination Mid-January

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA | EGI ADYATAMA