Garuda Cargo Carrying COVID-19 Vaccines Arrives in Soekarno-Hatta Airport

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A Boeing 777-300ER on Sunday, December 6, landed at Soekarno-Hatta Airport carrying with it 1.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines produced by China’s Sinovac Biotech. The Garuda Indonesia cargo flight was flown-in through a special route to Beijing and back.

“Even though the vaccine has arrived in Indonesia, the vaccination itself must undergo evaluation stages from the BPOM to ensure the vaccine’s quality, safety, and effectiveness,” said Coordinating Minister of Economics Airlangga Hartarto on Sunday. “[We] are also waiting for a fatwa from the MUI for the vaccine’s halal aspect.”

The arrival of the vaccine is part of the government’s attempt to bring in the vaccines gradually. The Indonesian government plans to import another 1.8 million complete doses at the beginning of January 2021and more before the end of December. 

30 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine raw materials will also be imported in January before it will be handed to the Indonesian pharmaceutical firm Bio Farma. Minister Airlangga maintains that the vaccination program will be enacted in several stages prioritizing healthcare workers and general public health officials as the President’s regulation oversees. 

Indonesia’s COVID-19 vaccination program will be provided in 2 ways; free vaccinations and paid vaccinations.

Also Read: Updates on 'Merah Putih' COVID-19 Vaccine

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