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HONG KONG – Even with the administration of vaccines to come, Indonesian President Joko Widodo warned his ministers to rush the launch of COVID-19 vaccines due to the development of public considerations as to whether such vaccines would be classified or halal legal under Islamic law.
Indonesia, the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, will begin administering vaccines against the new coronavirus next month.
“We deserve public opinion related to the halal prestige of possible vaccines opposed to COVID-19,” Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, said at a meeting. “Public communication on prestige, price, quality and halal distribution will have to be well prepared. “
Ma’ruf Amin, the country’s vice president and high-ranking Muslim cleric, echoed his sentiments and stated that the COVID-19 vaccines to be distributed should be halal certified by the relevant authorities, although in the past he stated that non-halal vaccines are allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Health workers, paramedics, officials, the army and police officers, to all grades, will be the first to get the vaccines,” said Terawan Agus Putranto, Minister of Health.
“We hope that everything is resolved, which means that the source is in a position and that we have a commitment from the vaccine manufacturers. We are waiting for an EUA [emergency use authorization] from the BPOM [Food and Drug Surveillance Agency. ] and a halal certificate from the MUI [Ulema Council of Indonesia], “said Achmad Yurianto, Director General of Disease Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health.
The risk of a vaccine declared haraam, or banned by Islamic law, may very well negate all progress made on this front.
In 2018, the MUI stated that the country’s measles and rubella haram vaccine The vaccine, manufactured through the Serum Institute of India in Mumbai, comprises several pig elements, such as gelatin and the enzyme trypsin.
This resolution has led to a massive drop in the number of young people vaccinated, and some conservative provinces like Aceh have fewer than one in 10 young people vaccinated.
Since then, state-owned bio farma PT has joined the race to expand a measles and rubella vaccine that meets halal standards, but said paintings could take between 15 and 20 years.
The waiting time is not long, but there are considerations that exposure to halal vaccine efforts legitimizes and encourages reluctance to the vaccine.
But with the president nodding to halal concerns, it turns out that it would be yet another impediment for the Muslim-majority country to take this into account in the fight against the pandemic.
Airlangga Hartarto, Indonesia’s Minister of Coordinating Economy, who also leads the country’s reaction team opposed to COVID-19, is confident that the public wants the vaccine to meet halal criteria and receive certification.
Leveraging Chinese vaccine companies
The Southeast Asian country would have all 3 Chinese vaccine manufacturers, namely Sinovac Biotech Ltd. , Sinopharm Group, Cansino Biologics Inc.
In total, the trio promised about 18. 1 million doses of possible COVID-19 vaccines that could be given to about 9. 1 million people, according to Indonesia’s Ministry of Health.
Sinovac, which is its candidate vaccine in West Java, has promised 3 million doses, Sinopharm has promised around 15 million doses, while Cansino has promised 100,000 single injection vaccines for Indonesia.
“Given the number of clinical trial sites outside China, it appears that Chinese corporations will focus on launches in countries in Asia, South America and Central America, first, country-specific clinical trial data, as the likelihood that Chinese vaccines will be accepted in those markets is high,” said Venkat Kartheek ValeArray , Globaldata pharmaceutical analyst.
Chinese actors must also innovate as they face a fierce festival with leading players such as Astrazeneca plc, Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. which already operate in european and North American markets.
“This strategic resolution can help Chinese corporations introduce new markets and diplomatic relations with other nations,” Vale said. “In addition, due to the lack of complex clinical trials through key players such as Moderna and Pfizer in Asian countries and Astrazeneca which is concentrated only in India with a Phase II/III exam through its partner, the Serum Institute of India offers Chinese companies a greater concentrated advantage. Asian markets. “
Indonesia Bio Farma is also working hard with Sinovac to verify and manufacture its COVID-19 vaccine while developing a new vaccine with the Jakarta-based Eijkman Institute of Molecular Biology.
If Indonesia can succeed over the reluctance to vaccinate and collect enough vaccines for its mass population, collaborations like this can only its pharmaceutical exports.
“Indonesia’s pharmaceutical exports will enjoy a positive growth trajectory. As Indonesia’s pharmaceutical sector continues to mature, corporations will look for opportunities in Southeast Asia’s broader market,” Sakshi Sikka, a senior pharmaceutical and health analyst at Fitch Solutions, told BioWorld Sakshi Sikka.
“However, we expect much of the production accumulation to be used in the local market, given the expansion of the insurance policy in Indonesia. “
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