Indonesia to Start Human Trial of Possible COVID-19 Vaccine

Main Event
Indonesia will begin advanced clinical testing of a possible coronavirus vaccine in August.
The vaccine is being developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech.
Indonesia state-owned pharmaceutical company Bio Farma and Padjajaran University will
jointly conduct the vaccine’s Phase 3 trials, or large-scale testing on humans, in Bandung,
West Java.
Background Event
The vaccine would be administrated to healthy subjects aged between 18 and 59 with a total
of 1690 subjects. The subjects will be observed for six months to see whether they can
develop an antibody against coronavirus. Bio Farma would distribute 40 million doses of
vaccine per year if the government authorizes it. Before Indonesia, Brazil kicked off
advanced clinical testing of the potential Sinovac vaccine last week by administering the first
doses to around 900 volunteers.
Sources
According to Kusnandi Rusmil, Padjajaran University Medical School Proffesor, They
cannot do it fast because the vaccine has to be conducted in a correct and careful manner.
Because for clinical trials, there are procedures from WHO that they need to follow.
Kusnandi expected the team to complete the trials as early as next January.