Expert Says Letting Nusantara Vaccine to Proceed is 'Dangerous'

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An epidemiologist with the Griffith University  Dicky Budiman on Wednesday urged the government to not let the Nusantara vaccine to go on to its second clinical trial. This vaccine was initiated by former Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto that utilizes the dendritic cell method. 

“The government is not allowed to let things like this [from happening] even though he is a former government official. It must be corrected when it’s wrong in the scientific method,” said Dicky to Tempo on Wednesday, April 14. 

His strong criticism came after a number of House of Representatives (DPR) legislators participated in the vaccine’s second clinical trial procedure held at the Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital (RSPAD). These DPR members were adamant to succeed Terawan’s program.

The epidemiologist asserted the fact that the vaccine’s clinical trial is using a government facility that is funded by taxpayers money and that if the research turns out to be no good, he maintained that this should not be happening. 

“I am very much concerned that this is allowed to be happening. It is dangerous,” said Budiman. 

Dicky Budiman said this dendritic cell vaccination potentially causes infections as the clinical process involves extracting blood samples from a subject’s body and inserting it again. 

He also agreed with the firm stand taken by the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) for not permitting the continuation of Nusantara vaccine’s first clinical trial. Budiman said it is dangerous for a research that is not guided by scientific principles. “That is not called a research and that cannot guarantee its safety.”

Read: Report Exposes Many Oddities in Nusantara Vaccine Development

FRISKI RIANA