Workers unload coronavirus vaccine boxes Sinovac Biotech Ltd. at the Jakarta Provincial Health Office, Indonesia, at DKI Jakarta, Indonesia, on January 7th.
Photographer: Dimas Ardian / Bloomberg
Photographer: Dimas Ardian / Bloomberg
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Indonesia approved China Sinovac Biotech Ltd. shoots for emergency use, paving the way for the largest economy in Southeast Asia to begin its inoculation program.
The Sinovac vaccine was about 65 percent effective against Covid-19 in final trials in the city of Bandung, Penny Lukito, head of the food and drug regulator, said at a news conference Monday. The regulator also took into account data from clinical trials conducted in Brazil and Turkey when making the decision, she said.
The vaccine is “largely safe,” Lukito said. “Contribute hope to reduce Covid cases “.
Indonesia to start vaccinations: vaccine locator in Southeast Asia
The emergency use permit is the first for the Sinovac vaccine outside of China. In Brazil, the final trials showed one efficiency rate of 78%. The vaccine was effective in preventing mild cases of the virus and 100% effective against severe and moderate infections, according to the Brazilian government.
Indonesia struggles to curb the worst outbreak of coronavirus in Southeast Asia, with a positivity rate of more than 31% on Monday as a sign of insufficient evidence. The World Health Organization recommends keeping the rate below 5%.
President Joko Widodo will receive the first shot on January 13, along with social media influencers and religious leaders. Indonesia needs to increase confidence in the vaccine among 270 million people to curb the outbreak that has so far infected more than 830,000 people.
The Ulema Council in Indonesia has stated that Covid-19 vaccines are clean and halal and can be used by Muslims in accordance with the guidelines of the competent authorities. Sinovac has sent 3 million doses to the country, which is expected to inoculate 181.5 million people in March 2022.
(Updates with halal statement in the last paragraph.)