MUI to Determine Covid-19 Vaccine Halal Status after BPOM Approval
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6 January 2021 11:24 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) on Tuesday said that it will not issue a halal fatwa for the Covid-19 vaccine produced by Sinovac Biotech before the Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM) issues a formal permit for the vaccine’s use.
“Not long after the BPOM announces it, we will announce our stand [regarding the halal status of the vaccine],” said MUI head of halal division Sholahuddin Al Aiyubi to Tempo on Tuesday, January 5.
The BPOM is currently waiting for the final report on the clinical trial conducted by the Padjadjaran University in Bandung, West Java. The emergency use authorization from the institution would only be granted once the quality and effectiveness of the vaccine is conclusive.
Back in August of 2020, two MUI members audited the Sinovac Biotech factory in China in regards to its study on the halal aspect of the vaccine they were producing at the time. MUI has also made an audit on the Bio Farma headquarters as the Indonesian state-pharmaceutical firm is also developing candidate vaccines.
The Indonesian government has announced that the national vaccination will officially kick off as soon as next week on January 13 with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo being the first of the Covid-19 vaccine recipients.
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