Research Minister Talks of Race for COVID-19 Vaccine

TEMPO.CO, Bandung - Research and Technology Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro revealed that the Turkish minister offered a partnership in a COVID-19 vaccine study, which includes the implementation of clinical trials or the research and the development.

“Vaccine development carried out by Turkey is remarkable as it uses all available platforms,” said Bambang in the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) office in Bandung, Wednesday, July 29.

According to him, the Turkey government adopted five approaches, such as inactivated vaccines, DNA, mRNA, and recombinant vaccines. The offer was made to the Eijkman Molecular Biology Institute. However, the ministry argued, private parties including Bio Farma could explore the same collaboration.

Bambang stated that efforts to develop vaccines in any country in the world did not depend on one developer. It should be parallel or multitrack, such as the prospective Indonesian-made vaccine dubbed Merah Putih.

“Because there is no guarantee that a vaccine is effective for certain groups or regions,” he added.

The minister dismissed the saying that the emergence of many types of vaccines could trigger competition. “We don’t see it as a competition because Indonesia needs a huge number of vaccines given its 260 million population,” Bambang remarked.

Bambang Brodjonegoro added people could possibly need more than one COVID-19 vaccine due to different body endurance.

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ANWAR SISWADI (CONTRIBUTOR)