Indonesia will seek to launch a home-grown Covid-19 vaccine in August, with the first phase of clinical trials for the Merah Putih vaccine now under way, the Straits Times reported on Monday, citing Professor Fedik Abdul Rantam, head of the research program from Airlang University.
According to him, "the vaccine should protect humans against currently existing strains of coronavirus infection". During animal trials, the drug showed 85 percent efficacy against the delta strain, according to scientists. "In early February, the first phase of clinical trials began with 90 volunteers, the second phase is scheduled for March, and in April there will be a third phase, which will involve at least 5,000 people," the program manager said.
"If the tests are successful, we expect to get approval for the first proprietary vaccine in July and begin use in August," Fedik Abdul added.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin previously noted that the drug could be used to revaccinate or immunize children between the ages of three and six. To date, nearly 140 million people in Indonesia, 67 percent of the total population, have been fully vaccinated and another 8.2 million have booster doses. The government has approved 11 drugs for use in the national immunization program, including Sputnik V, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac and several others.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS