(Eagle News) — Indonesia has given emergency use approval to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac BioTech Ltd., and is set to start vaccination using the vaccines.
As this developed, Turkey also announced that it would start vaccination using the Chinese-made vaccine by Thursday or Friday. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan himself announced the start of the vaccination in Turkey
In Indonesia, the Jakarta Post reported that no less than Indonesian President Joko Widodo is already set to get his first dose of the Sinovac vaccine. Some 1.3 million health workers will follow.
Indonesia gave the emergency use approval for the Sinovac vaccine after the interim analysis of the clinical trials done in the country.
Indonesia’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the emergency use approval for the Sinovac vaccine after the interim analysis that showed that its vaccine candidate, CoronaVac, had an efficacy rate of 65.3 percent based on the late-stage trials in the country.
On Jan. 7, Indonesian President Widodo reiterated his readiness to be the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“And I will – once again – be the first to receive the Covid-19 vaccine,” he said.
Widodo said that he is doing this so that people will have confidence in the vaccine. “So that all believe that this vaccine is safe and lawful. So, just get ready,” he tweeted.
Dan saya — sekali lagi — akan menjadi orang pertama yang menerima vaksin Covid-19 tersebut. Mengapa Presiden jadi yang pertama?
Bukan hendak mendahulukan diri sendiri, tapi agar semua yakin bahwa vaksin ini aman dan halal. Jadi, siap-siap saja.
— Joko Widodo (@jokowi) January 7, 2021
Indonesia had already received three million vaccine doses from Sinovac in two batches. The first 1.2 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine arrived in December last year, while the second batch of 1.8 million doses arrived this January.
Last week, President Widodo told his countrymen to be patient while they wait for the emergency use permit from the Indonesian FDA, BPOM, for the Sinovac vaccine.
“The vaccine is already there, and is starting to be distributed to the regions. But we are still waiting for an emergency use permit from BPOM and a halal study from MUI,” he said in a tweet.
Sedang menanti vaksin Covid-19? Sabar. Saya juga.
Vaksinnya sudah ada, dan mulai didistribusikan ke daerah. Tapi kita masih menunggu izin penggunaan darurat dari BPOM dan kajian halal dari MUI.
Apabila izin sudah keluar, vaksin gratis secara bertahap, kita laksanakan. pic.twitter.com/9Do0fYoZyV
— Joko Widodo (@jokowi) January 7, 2021
Widodo said that once the emergency use approval for the vaccine had been issued, Indonesia will start its COVID-19 vaccinations for free.
The government had already started distribution of the Chinese-made vaccines this month as part of the preparation for its mass vaccination program.
Indonesian President Widodo in December said that he was prepared to be the first to be given the vaccine shot just to prove the safety of the vaccine.
-Erdogan announces starts of Sinovac vaccinations this week-
Meanwhile, Turkey is also set to start by Thursday or Friday its vaccination roll-out using the Sinovac vaccine.
Turkey has reported that clinical trials of the Sinovac developed vaccine showed an efficacy rate of 91.25 percent.
The state-run Anadalu Agency of Turkey said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had announced the start of inoculation of COVID-19 vaccines in the country will start by Thursday or Friday.
“The COVID-19 vaccine will begin to be administered on Thursday or Friday in line with the determined order,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a press conference as quoted by the state-run news agency.
Turkey received its first batch of 3 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine which it had ordered from China’s SinoVac Biotech on Dec. 30 last year.
(Eagle News Service)
