TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Six million doses of bulk vaccine from China's Sinovac has arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten Province on Sunday, as the eighth batch of vaccine delivery to Indonesia, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said.

"Today we have received six million doses of bulk vaccine from Sinovac, China, as part of 140 million doses of bulk vaccine that we will receive in 2021," Sadikin said in a virtual press conference on Presidential Secretariat YouTube account.

As of now Indonesia has received 59.5 million doses of Sinovac bulk vaccine that could be used to produce 47 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine by state-run vaccine maker PT Bio Farma.

Bulk vaccines are the raw material of vaccines that will be made into ready-to-use vaccines by BioFarma.

"Until now, of the total 46 million doses, we have distributed 22 million doses to all regions," he said.

Indonesia is expected to have additional 20 million doses of vaccine with the arrival of the bulk vaccine on Sunday, to meet demand in April and May, Sadikin said.

The minister has called on local governments to continue the vaccination program during the fasting month of Ramadhan.

"The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has declared that vaccination would not invalidate a Muslim's fast," he said.

The vaccination has also focused on senior citizens, because during the Eid al-Fitr celebration people will visit the elderly.

Sadikin has called on the public to increase alertness and adhere to the health protocols, with the spike in COVID-19 cases in some countries in Europe, Asia such as India, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and South America such as Chile and Brazil.

"The implementation of public activities restriction (PPKM) should not make us unaware of the spread. Lest our hard work are fruitless because we do not stay on alert," the minister said.

Read: Task Force: WHO to Grant Sinovac Vaccine Emergency Use in May

ANTARA