Reviewing Bio Farma Production Facilities, President: Indonesia Is Able To Produce Its Own Vaccines

Detiktoday.com – President Joko Widodo, during his working visit to Bandung City on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, reviewed the readiness and production facilities of a state-owned vaccine and antisera producer Bio Farma.

Bio Farma’s ability as a vaccine producer company has been recognized worldwide, where its products have reached more than 140 countries in the world.

“I want to see how Bio Farma has produced vaccines that have been sent to 149 countries, including polio, diphtheria, BCG vaccines,” said the President after a review at the Bio Farma production facility located in Sukajadi District, Bandung City, West Java.

“This shows that our country has been able to produce vaccines for a long time. Bio Farma was founded after 1890, more than 100 years ago,” he added.

Bio Farma itself will soon produce a Covid-19 vaccine to meet domestic needs if the vaccine has been found and has been clinically tested.

Currently, the clinical trial team from the Faculty of Medicine, Padjajaran University is conducting a third phase clinical trial of the prospective Covid-19 vaccine. After the clinical trial is carried out and the vaccine being developed is declared ready for use, Bio Farma will then produce the vaccine itself in large quantities.

“I think with the existing capabilities and experiences we want the Covid vaccine production to be carried out immediately,” said the President.

Previously, at a meeting at the Merdeka Palace on July 21, 2020, the Head of State assigned Bio Farma to ensure that its production capacity can meet domestic needs when the Covid-19 vaccine is discovered.

Currently, Bio Farma’s production capacity is known to be capable of producing 100 million doses of vaccine per year and is being developed further so that by the end of the year it will be able to increase its capacity to reach 250 million doses of vaccine per year.

“I think this is what we need to know and increase our optimism that we can do it ourselves,” said the President.

Accompanying the President in the review included Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Chairman of the Covid-19 Task Force Doni Monardo, and West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil.