TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-owned pharmaceutical firm Kimia Farma stated that the Indonesian people can now get the Sinopharm vaccine as a booster since the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) had issued the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the third Covid-19 shot for adults aged 18 and above.

The people who received complete Sinopharm vaccines (first and second doses) at least after six months, can now be administered with the booster with the same brand.

"Sinopharm booster vaccine is available to help intensify the government's vaccination program," said Kimia Farma GM Corporate Secretary in a statement in Jakarta, Saturday, Feb. 12.

Indonesia has now added the variant of booster shots through the emergency use authorization of the vaccine produced by Beijing Bio-Institute Biological.

"Sinopharm vaccine as a booster is generally well-tolerated," said Kimia Farma.

Meanwhile, the frequency, types, and severity of adverse reactions or unexpected events after the booster administration were lower than during the primary doses.

The unexpected events include pain in the injection site, swelling, and redness as well as systemic reactions such as headache, fatigue, and muscle aches, with a severity level of 1-2.

As for the immunity aspect, it increased 8.4 times and eight times for the neutralizing and anti-IgG antibodies, respectively, compared to before the administration of the third vaccine dose. Based on BPOM evaluation, the immune response after the booster vaccination is also higher.

The public can get a Sinopharm booster by registering through portal.vaksingotongroyong.id or send a WhatsApp message to Biofarma at 0811 2060 888.

Read: Merah Putih Vaccine to Be Used as Booster, for Children: Health Minister

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