TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendi responded to the findings of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) regarding the distribution of 297 batches or 78,361,500 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine that were distributed without a batch permit or lot release.

He stated that vaccines currently circulating in the public must have been approved by the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency or BPOM. He suspected that there are amounts of doses that have not been covered in the BPK report.

"So inshallah, they {the vaccines} are safe. I don't think there are other vaccine brands entering [Indonesia] without BPOM approval. It is impossible. All of them are recorded by PeduliLindungi and its implementation is also clear," said Muhadjir at the Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

He also assumed that those million doses that have not been recorded in the BPK report were in dose units, rather than brands. "This might happen because [we were] in an emergency situation. We prioritized reaching the target [vaccination]. We will definitely fix it," said Muhadjir.

A batch permit is a term used by the BPOM to define drugs with the same characteristics and quality. This drug is produced in one manufacturing cycle.

In the Summary of Semester Audit Reports (IHPS) II, BPK recorded that 297 batches or 78,361,500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were circulated without the on-time and complete issuance of the batch permit or lot release that could be accessed right on time by those in need.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH | BISNIS.COM

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