Indonesia will manufacture mRNA vaccines

After being chosen by the World Health Organization to get a technology transfer to become Southeast Asia’s Covid-19 vaccine centre, Indonesia might begin producing its own messenger ribonucleic acid vaccines.

PT Bio Farma will begin producing mRNA doses under an undisclosed brand. With a capacity of 3.2 billion doses per year, the company is one of the region’s largest vaccine producers, according to a statement from the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Indonesia wanted worldwide support to produce its own Covid-19 vaccine in order to help protect its population, which is the fourth biggest in the world and transport them to neighbouring nations.

Due to a supply shortage, it has been forced to provide half-doses for its booster program in order to ensure that it has enough for all 270 million people. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi tweeted about the new vaccines.

“It is the kind of solution that developing countries need, a solution that empowers, a solution that strengthens our self-reliance, a solution that allows us to contribute to global health resilience”.

WHO intends to establish technology transfer centres in developing countries to assist them in producing mRNA vaccines.

Source: Bangkok Post