Unair Rector Optimistic Merah Putih Vaccine to Be Ready for Use in 2022

TEMPO.CO, Surabaya - Rector of Universitas Airlangga (Unair) Surabaya, Mohammad Nasih, expressed optimism that the homegrown Covid-19 vaccine dubbed Merah Putih vaccine being developed will be ready for use in 2022.

“About when the vaccine can be used, it is predicted to be around 10 to 11 months or next year considering that the preclinical stage is not a simple and short stage,” said Nasih in Surabaya, Monday, April 19, 2021.

The long process of developing the vaccine, he added, aimed at maximizing the effectiveness of the antibody.

“Of all these processes, the most important thing is that Unair will not go too far in its mass production process. Unair's position is in the preparation process and everything is done properly and has received a recommendation from the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM),” Nasih said.

“I hope all will be patient and the Merah Putih vaccine can be used by all groups,” he added.

On the same occasion, Covid-19 Research Product Coordinator Ni Nyoman Tri Puspaningsih said that the university’s research on the vaccine was a long journey involving a large team.

Regarding the effectiveness of the vaccine against new variations of Covid-19, Nyoman said that the vaccine has been designed to anticipate new virus variants emerging from various countries.

Read: BPOM Hopes to Mass-produce Merah Putih Vaccine in Early 2022

ANTARA