Erick Thohir: TNI, Police Will Lead Mass COVID-19 Vaccination
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13 August 2020 12:00 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Erick Thohir, the Committee Head of the COVID-19 Mitigation and National Economic Recovery, said the government planned to involve the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Police in the mass COVID-19 vaccination as instructed by President Jokowi.
“As Bapak President orders, the mass vaccination will be under the TNI and Police,” said Erick at the Police HQ on Thursday, August 13.
Erick made the statement after meeting with the Police Deputy Chief Comr. Gen. Gatot Eddy Pramono who has been appointed as the committee’s Deputy Chief II. The Army Chief of Staff Gen. Andika Perkasa was tapped as the Deputy Chief I.
According to him, the law enforcers were tasked to coordinate the Health Ministry, the Education Ministry, and the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) in establishing the vaccination given the readiness of their medical personnel to work.
As widely reported, the Indonesian government was conducting the phase 3 clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China-based pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech. The clinical trial on humans is the last stage before the antibody candidate can be mass-produced.
Should the trials run well, state-run pharmaceutical company Bio Farma would produce the vaccine for domestic purposes. 1,620 volunteers were targeted to participate in the trials.
Read: Erick Thohir Lauds Vaccine Clinical Trial; Assures Halal Certification
M ROSSENO AJI
