Gov’t to Obtain COVID-19 Vaccine via B2B Scheme

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin (Source: Presidential Secretariat YouTube)

The Indonesian Government is expected to obtain Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Novavax COVID-19 vaccines via business-to-business (B2B) scheme.

“The arrival of 1.5 million doses of Pfizer and 567,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines is the first arrival of the vaccines via business-to-business scheme,” Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in a virtual press statement, Thursday (19/08), adding that the Sinovac vaccine procurement via this scheme has started since 13 January.

The Minister estimated that by the end of this year the Government will be able to secure 50 million doses of Pfizer vaccine and 20-30 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine via the scheme.

On Novavax vaccine, Budi explained that the Government is still waiting for approval from the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the delivery of 50 million doses of the vaccine. “It is expected that the approval will be issued in the near future,” he added.

Apart from B2B scheme, the Government also secures vaccines through multilateral and bilateral cooperation schemes, one of which is through the GAVI (Global Alliance Vaccines and Immunization).

“From GAVI, we have received the AstraZeneca vaccine at the beginning and we also plan to receive the Pfizer and Sinovac vaccines starting this month,” he said.

In addition, Indonesia also receives vaccine support from the Netherlands through a bilateral cooperation scheme that will arrive in several stages. On the first stage, as many as 450,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine have arrived today, Thursday (19/08).

“I would like to thank Mr. Ambassador, on behalf of the Indonesian Government and also its people for the generosity of the Dutch Government and its people who have donated and we will receive the first 450,000 doses at 7.00,” said the Minister. (FID/UN) (FI/MMB)