Indonesia’s food and drug agency has granted emergency use approval to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech, becoming the first country outside China to give the regulatory greenlight to the vaccine. Interim data from a late-stage human test in Indonesia showed the shot was 65.3% effective.
Indonesia started its coronavirus vaccination program on 13 January 2021, with President Joko Widodo taking the first jab as the race to immunize people against COVID-19 gains pace in Southeast Asia. The general roll-out to the public targeting health workers, assistant doctors, and university students in the medical field started one day later on 14 January 2021.
Indonesia seeks to vaccinate 181.5 million people – about two-thirds of the population – by March 2022 and President Widodo has called on the cabinet to shorten that timeline further. The country will offer free vaccines to people. With about 13,000 community health centres and 9,000 hospitals across the country, the government says it will be able to complete its targeted vaccination to achieve mass immunity.
Stay up-to-date with Indonesia’s vaccine rollout on our dedicated COVID-19 report site.
