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Surabaya (Indonesia) (AFP) – Indonesia, which is facing a wave of contamination, began testing its own anti-hiv vaccine on men on Wednesday after obtaining authorization from the national health agency, the health minister announced.
Tests of the vaccine “Merah Putih” (“White Red”, colors of the national flag) are carried out by Airlangga University and by Biotis Pharmaceuticals Indonesia.
Authorities hope, if these tests prove conclusive, that the vaccine can begin to be used by mid-year, according to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.
The country then wants to distribute its vaccine “Merah Putih” to countries that need it, the minister said.
The first and second phases of the tests will be done with 90 and 405 adults respectively.
According to the dean of Airlangga University, Mohammad Nasih, the vaccine has been certified “halal” by the Indonesian ulema council, the country’s main religious body, with a strong Muslim majority.
This South-East Asian country was hit by an epidemic wave in July that put hospitals under stress and prompted residents to look for oxygen bottles for their relatives, often forced to be treated at home.
The archipelago-the fourth most populous country in the world with 270 million inhabitants – has recorded more than 145,000 deaths from covid-19, and currently presents 30,000 new cases daily, especially for the omicron variant. Only 48% of its population has been able to receive two doses of vaccine.
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